Sakura Season
by Highspeed0516
Summary: The Sequel to "Kissing the Wind." Sakura Haruno endures her own specialized round of training that will set her on the path to becoming the most powerful Kunoichi ever . . . or destroy her. But will it be enough to save Sasuke and protect Naruto?
1. Chapter 1

Howdy Everyone. Here is the first chapter of the sequesl to Kissing the Wind. You'll notice this second "book" as I'll call it is from a first person point of view. I'm curious to see how it works out, so please comment and review!

* * *

Sakura Season

_From the Training Journal of Haruno Sakura -Forward_

_Dear Sakura,_

_I congratulate you on passing my little test with your team mates Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. Each of you will receive a logbook to make notes and document your training as we develop you to the next level. Do not document B rank missions or above due to their classified nature, but use these wisely to review what you have learned. I find the more detailed the better. Sometimes it may be helpful to share the contents with me or your other teachers, but overall this is for your personal use the same way you would use a normal diary. Good luck!_

_- Kakashi Sensei_

_From the Training Journal of Haruno Sakura, 28 March 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

Its sakura season. My season. It is also my birthday. My parents had something special

planned for me today, but that didn't mean a day off from the new training I've been involved in for the last four months. My Master is fair, but she's not always that kind. That's why I admire her so much. She knows I can't afford to slow down. Not now. Not at the rate Naruto and Sasuke are gaining strength.

The spring brings new life and new promises. Early in the morning I set out, and as I crossed the bridge of the Konoha river, our old meeting place back when we were team seven, the wind blows fresh sakura petals in my direction. The orchard that lines the river is in full bloom, and I consider it a good omen as I pause for a moment to consider my reflection in the water. My head protector gleams in the first light of day, highlighting my distinctive pink hair. It was my father that chose to name me for the blossoms that match that color. That seems strange considering its my mother who I get my love and knowledge of flowers from.

I used to wink at my reflection. It was a childish game when I used to care more about how I looked than how I fought. Somehow I like how I look much better with experience behind my deep green eyes and confidence behind the small features of my round face. My forehead doesn't seem quite so large anymore either. Instead of winking, I promise myself that today I will become stronger.

My promise complete, I hurry to training ground five. It's the place where I last saw him. It was a portion of his energy in the form of a shadow clone to be more precise, but details like that didn't matter in the end. I know the memory of that event will never leave me. Not a day has gone by, perhaps not even a moment in the last five weeks when I have not thought of him, Naruto Uzumaki. I'll never forget that wonderful night in the hospital, or even what the last words that he said to me were.

_"I love you, Sakura. Become stronger, so when I get back we can finally put an end to all our troubles."_

I can't wait to show him how much stronger I have become, but I know I still have a long way to go before I'm ready.

The training ground is deserted, just like it was that morning last fall. The rays of the sun filter through healthy trees full of green leaves, and the warmth the light brings to my face erases the rest of my sleepiness. The fact that I'm alone doesn't surprise me. Lady Tsunade is very busy as a hokage, and though she trains me when she can, she can't always afford to be around. Besides, she insists most of my training is something I have to do on my own. So I take out a scroll from my pouch and I begin to train again in earnest.

I hate biting my own thumb. It just seems so unsanitary to a medical ninja like me. Instead, I prefer to prick it with a Kunai blade while the scroll unfurls in the air. I've gotten quite good at the timing of doing a summon this way. I just wish I had Naruto's wealth of chakra for something like this, because today my first slug is no larger than it has been for the last two months.

It's a deep navy blue one with a white line down her back. She's about three feet in length. Her feelers are short and stocky and she emits a greenish slime as she crawls slowly away from me. This one calls herself Chimochi. I remember being so excited the first time I summoned one this big. I was progressing rapidly at that point.

_"Slugs like this are excellent for healing minor battlefield injuries." _My master explained._ "Some slugs use a corrosive acid, while others like Chimochi here have healing and _

_regenerative enzymes. Summon a few of these, and they can get to work healing cuts and abrasions so you can conserve chakra for more serious injuries. Don't forget they can multiply into smaller versions of themselves if you need them to. I once kept seventeen ninja from bleeding to death this way."_

"Oh hello, Sakura!" Chimochi says cheerfully. "Training again I see?"

"That's right." I tell her with a nod and a smile. "Please excuse me if I bring you out a few times today, I'm going to try and go larger again."

"You'll call my big sister this time for sure!" she says with gleeful optimism.

I give the slug one more smile before I dismiss her. I still can't get over talking to slugs this way. I won't ever question them in front of my master again though. I was lucky to escape without a scratch at my first lesson.

_"But master, why does it have to be slugs? Couldn't it be something cute and furry like bunnies or squirrels or maybe even . . ."_

_Tsunade-sama shot me a glare that would have made Ochimaru shed another skin._

_"Don't take this blood contract you are about to enter into lightly, Sakura. You must trust me when I say these animal spirits suit you best. If you feel you're not ready . . ."_

_"I'm ready master," I said. "Please forgive me."_

Four hours later I fell to my knees, panting. It was another summon of the same size. In fact, it was Chimochi again. She had appeared eight times already. My hands were bloodied from countless punctures, and the sweat stung my eyes as my hair lay matted to my face.

"It just no use," I whimpered pathetically.

For all my skill at chakra control I just couldn't input enough of it in one explosive burst to move to the next level. I felt like I was at my limit. That's when she decided to show up.

"Giving up for today already, Sakura?" Tsunade-sama said from behind me.

Of course I had to act like I knew she was there all along, though it was probably a moot point because I'm sure she saw my back stiffen in surprise. What did she mean, "already"? I was exhausted. I pushed myself to my feet with trembling arms. I turned to face her, wiping the matted hair from my cheeks. I started to bow in greeting, but all I saw was a flicker of movement where my master's green and gray-clad silhouette had just been. I barely got my arms crossed in front of my face and loaded with chakra in time as the Hokage's fist slammed into me like an avalanche, knocking me backward about fifty feet. I flipped in mid-air and somehow landed on my feet, my arms throbbed with pain, but I had gotten sufficient chakra flowing through them to avoid any broken bones.

I had no time to process what was happening as instinct took over. I ducked another punch, sidestepped a knife-handed thrust, and then cartwheeled over her right shoulder to avoid the final strike in a triple combo. Any one of those strikes would have knocked me out instantly.

If I made even the slightest mistake she might even kill me. My master was attacking for real again. It is a testament to the trust she has in my abilities, but _I hate it when she does that_!

This time her attack had come without warning, and as I desperately tried to gain distance from her, all I could do was wonder why. Did she think I needed more evasion training? Surely there were better ways to build my conditioning?

My master's long blond hair whipped behind her as the speed she moved at created a jet stream behind her. I leapt to safety again, and some poor tree became timber and toothpicks.

"Master!" I cried desperately. "I wasn't giving up! It was just a moment of frust - aaah!"

The woman elder Chiyo had called "Slug Princess" had created a canyon beneath my feet by punching the ground just as I landed. I fell right in, and would have been stuck there had I not punched the ground myself as I fell, widening the gap and sending a wave of crumple earth back at my master. I almost didn't jump free in time. Tsunade crashed down where I had just been with a powerful kick, creating a shockwave that rattled my bones and jarred my teeth. Chunks of rock tore into my back like shrapnel.

"There's only two ways to stop me, Sakura!" Tsunade yelled as she turned to renew her attack. Her brown eyes narrowed with dangerous intent as she spoke her next words. "Either defeat me on your own or summon a slug capable of holding me off!"

My heart was racing. So that's what this was about! My master and I both knew I was no match for her. She may be an unlucky gambler, but I would not bet on my chances against her. This meant there was really only one choice.

I looked at my hands as I leapt up into a tree. They were stained with dried blood and trembling with fatigue. The momentary inattention nearly put me in the hospital. Tsunade punched _through_ the tree and caught me in the right side of my abdomen. I gasped as all the air rushed from my lungs. I hit the ground hard, and bounced twice before coming to rest up against a wall of rock.

Tsunade had told me this new landmark had been created for Naruto's training by Captain Yamato. It was quite impressive. It even had a large, long pond of water in front of it where a waterfall nearly the width of the cliff had cascaded for three full days.

I now found that my master had me cornered between this moat and the wall, and I wished for all the world that the tall cliff would disappear back into the forest from which it was born. I struggled to my feet by pressing my back against the wall of rock and looked up, kunai clutched in a two handed grip. My master's silhouette blocked out the sun, her leg was raise high in preparation for a final devastating blow. There was no way to avoid such a blast of power in time, and there was nowhere to run. I knew it was now or never.

"Summoning justu!" I called as I punctured my thumb and spread a scroll on the ground. At the same time, a let all the chakra I could muster flow from me in one explosive burst into the appropriate place on the scroll. A huge plume of white smoke shot into the sky.

The Hokage never touched the ground. I looked up in amazement as she sat atop a fifty meter tall white slug with blue markings. It was bigger than the cliff I was pinned against. It was

her, the matriarch of all slugs, Katsuya. I had done it. My master looked down on me from on high with pride. I smiled weakly, trying to hide my shock at what I had accomplished.

"That will do, Sakura!" Tsunade called down to me. I sensed laughter in her voice. Maybe it was a little more than she expected, too. "That will do!"

Smiling weakly, I rolled over onto my back and passed out.

I came to a few minutes later to find my master holding a steaming tin cup of warm tea for me. I took it gladly and noticed we were still in the shadow of the ninja-made cliff, and

Katsuya's massive bulk still eclipsed the late afternoon sun. The Slug Queen spoke to me in a very light and childlike soprano voice. I found her tone soothing.

"Its such a pleasure to meet you, Sakura Haruno. Are you feeling better?"

"Y-yes," I said tentatively. I wondered if I should address her with some title, but I simply said. "I'm glad to meet you too." I doubted she knew exactly how glad. I favored my right side as I sipped a tea that tasted of tangy citrus. There was going to be a bad bruise on that side of my abdomen. My clothes were badly torn, and I had several abrasions and cuts. Tsunade-sama noticed my self-examination.

"I hated to resort to Jiraiya's teaching method's like that," my master commented as she shifted from her knees to sit cross-legged in front of me. She removed a tan camping bag from her shoulder and let it rest on the ground next to her. "But sometimes it takes a life or death situation to prove to yourself what you are capable of."

She was smiling sweetly, and acting like we were just together on some picnic. I felt a vein in my forehead pulse slightly. _Keep cool. _I told myself. _Keep cool. Keep cool._

"Don't pawn your training method's off on that old pervert!" I chided loudly, shaking my fist. "I was almost at my limit! Do you have any idea how close you came to kill . . ."

I stopped, remembering my place as my Master's eyes lowered in true sadness. I knew she was thinking about Jiraiya-sama, and I immediately felt guilty about my words. I wondered what exactly it was she had lost when he died. Was he more than her good friend? I thought about Naruto. If I ever lost him . . .

"Oh my!" said Katsuya's sweetly. "She has such a temper. She really is much like you Tsunade."

The Hokage snapped out of whatever memories were haunting her, and smiled up at her old ally. "Oh, she'll be even stronger than me someday, old friend."

Abruptly my Master's attention shifted to somewhere behind me.

"Have you been watching, Kurunai?"

"I was almost late thanks to Shikamaru taking his time coming over to babysit," said a familiar voice. "But I caught the important part. Very impressive, Sakura."

What is it with teachers and their habit of wanting to make a dramatic entrance like this, anyway? At least Gai-Sensei will admit his love of theatrics. I thanked and greeted Kurunai-Sensei as this thought worked its way through my mind. She wore a combat kimono not unlike

the one I was used to seeing her in for years, but it was now as black as her long, wild hair. Her strange ruby spiral-pattern eyes regarded me with interest.

"Well it seems you have more business to attend to," said Katsuya. "If you need nothing further from me, Sakura-san . ."

It occurred to me for the first time that it was I who could dismiss her. Still, she probably was just being polite. Its not like a creature such as her really had to do what I said.

"Oh! Yes . . . I mean no, thank you!" I said hurriedly. "Please be on your way."

"Until we meet again then," said the giant slug just before disappearing with a loud _pop_ and a monstrous cloud of white smoke.

"I must say I did not expect to see _her_ today," said Kurunai-sensei.

"Yes, it even surprised me," beamed my master. "Well done Sakura."

"But don't get too comfortable with your success," the dark haired kunoichi warned me. "Now that you've mastered summoning, your training with me begins."

I felt the color drain from my face, and I tried to hide my apprehension by taking a long sip of tea. During this pause Kurunai-Sensei knelt down beside me on her knees and locked gazes with my master. Dimly it occurred to me they were both the same. They had both lost so much, but especially Kurunai-Sensei. She had lost the father of her child. Asuma-Sensei was part of a growing list of losses in the battle against the Akatsuki. I think the two teachers found comfort in each other at that moment, but at the same time they were both hiding their pain.

"I look forward to it, sensei." I said at last.

"Meet me at the Nara clan dojo at zero eight hundred hours tomorrow," my new teacher said with a gleam in her eye. "And get plenty of sleep. You're going to need it."

"Yes Mam!" I said smartly as I stood up. The tea had restored some of my strength. I made a mental note to get this recipe from the Hokage the first chance I got. The sky was getting dark. The sun had almost set. I needed to get home in time for . . .

"Oh, and Sakura." My master said in a serious tone.

_What now?_ I wondered.

"Happy Birthday!"

My master was grinning broadly and holding out a box wrapped in blue paper with a green ribbon. The warm wind blew as she held it out to me, bringing with it some wayward

Sakura blossoms. I took the present gladly with a bow. When I just stood there dumbly, Tsunade urged me to open it as Kurunai-Sensei looked on.

It was a beautiful new combat kimono, and a Special-Jonin flak jacket. Everything was styled to my tastes. The pants were a deep scarlet, and they were loose and flexible in the same style as my master's. The top was a pale pink rose color and was designed to wrap around my chest and back like a bandage, holding my breasts securely while looking quite fashionable. This left my stomach and lower back exposed, but I agree with Tsunade's belief that it can be an advantage for a kunoichi to maintain a certain sexyness when facing male opponents.

The rose color was also special in that it was photo-effective material and would turn dull gray at night. The ensemble was completed with a light-weight jacket much like the Hokage's.

Mine was scarlet instead of green, and was adorned with my chosen symbol, a white circle for unity and purity in the back. This would be worn over the flak-jacket during missions. The deep scarlet, like the rose, would absorb light in the darkness. I would appear as a formless, shapeless entity to the enemy if I was spotted at all. Tsunade said it would be more durable than my old kimonos. I loved it. Also, the flak jacket meant . . .

"Congratulations, Sakura." Tsunade confirmed. "You're a Special-Jonin now. If you can excel at Kurunai's training, I'll consider testing you for Jonin."

I nodded my understanding. I wouldn't let them down.

The sun slipped below the horizon, and I suddenly realized I was going to be late for dinner with my parents.

"Excuse me master, Kurunai-sensei," I said hurriedly. "I need to get home."

"Understood Sakura," the Hokage said. "I'm sorry for keeping you."

I leapt from the training area as fast as my ability would allow. I hoped my parents would be understanding.


	2. Chapter 2

_Well, Its a short chapter but its important in a few aspects. It introduces Sakura's parents, who we know next to nothing about from the official manga. Thus, I'm kind of nervous about writing them because I've encountered people who don't like it when you add too much to the canon._

_Sakura's father is meant to appear laid back and introverted. Someone who doesn't say much, while the mother is quite the opposite. I haven't even named them yet beyond Mom, and Dad. I will name them eventually, through conversation - but I didn't do it yet because I wasn't certain it would occur to Sakura to write it in her personal journal. We'll find out more about them in the training journal. (Although, both of Sakura's journals are very detailed aren't they! lol)_

_The next chapter is much longer. I just had to divide things up this way or they wouldn't make sense._

_

* * *

_

_"The attack has left five hundred and seven buildings in Konoha destroyed, seventy two injuries, and has taken from us twenty one of our brightest and best ninja, including the Hokage himself. This event will never be forgotten, and we will honor the sacrifice of the fallen. Still, as my first act returning to the title of Hokage, I decree it forbidden to mention, discuss, or hint at the fate befallen the boy chosen to imprison this beast. Let the pain of loss and thoughts of retribution or hate fade into history."_

_- Saratobi, in his acceptance speech to the council's emergency request that he resume the title of Hokage_

_From the Personal Diary of Haruno Sakura 28 March 112th Year of the Leaf_

I've kept diaries since I was eight years old. It was another little habit I picked up from Ino. When she asked me way back then if I kept one, I smiled and told her, "Of course! Doesn't everybody?" I immediately went home and asked my mother to get me one. Now writing is an old habit. Still, I don't think I've ever really tried to describe my parents in any of the three that I have filled so far. I don't think any of my ninja comrades have ever even met my parents either. They may have seen them at our graduation from the academy, and I'm sure some of our teachers know them well, but they are quiet people and tend to keep to themselves.

They raised me well, and as their only daughter I was showered with lots of love. I'm still very much a daddy's girl. He used to tell me stories and give me piggy-back rides every night before I went to bed, and I think he still would if I let him. The love that they gave me makes my heart ache for both Naruto and Sasuke. Their childhoods have both been so harsh, and I don't know if I'll ever fully understand what either of them went through. They are both the same.

However, I've learned its not my place to ask. Damn it! I'm in tears again as I write this, but – that's why I know that if I am to protect them, if I am to SAVE them, I have to save their friendship – No matter the cost. I know I'll find a way, somehow.

Unfortunately, parents that love so much sometimes can't stand to see their little girl grow up. The result is that lately, our relationship has been difficult. Even on a day like today, my birthday, my parents can't help but bring up their issues.

I suppose it didn't help that I arrived late for my birthday dinner because of training, but I would have thought they would understand my priorities by now. On my last birthday I wasn't even home at all. I was out on a mission. In fact, it was that mission that we finally found Sasuke again after three years. My birthday was the last thing on my mind back then, but this year I wanted to make it up to them.

My father was a ninja in the Third Great Ninja War. He's since retired at the request of my mother, who was a teacher, but not for the ninja arts. She teaches the basics; reading, writing and arithmetic. Sometimes ninja found her courses the toughest of all. She took a few years off after I was born, but has since returned to the academy. Since retiring, my father has become a leading figure in Konoha's construction company, and was widely recognized for the quick repairs after Ochimaru's attack a few years ago.

My father has platinum blond hair and brown eyes. He has a lean muscular build but towers over my tiny mother. I get my green eyes from her, but her hair is a plain brown, so my hair color is a mystery even in my family. Both of them insist the trait lies somewhere in their family, but I like to think I'm as rare as a perfect sakura blossom, like my father used to tell me when I was little.

When I arrived at the house I grew up in, which is a few blocks from the small apartment I live in now, my mother was already doing the dishes. Dad had settled into his favorite easychair and was watching some detective drama on television. I let myself in, as they insist that I do whenever I wish to visit, and they finally noticed me when I made a deliberate sigh and apologized deeply for being late.

There was a cake with unlit candles on our low, cherry-wood table, and a few presents. From the looks of things my parents had already gone ahead and eaten. My mother was already cleaning up, but their was a portion set aside on the table for me. She had made my favorite meal, Shashimi. I really did feel horrible about being late, but my mother made me feel worse.

"Sakura!" she yelped. "What happened? You're all beat up! What have you been doing to yourself? Is this really what you enjoy doing more than celebrating your birthday with own parents?"

"Mo-mom, please, this is nothing."

"Nothing! Look at you, your clothes are in shreds!"

"Mom, its alright, really. I'll just go get changed and then I'll come right back downstairs. Its still early, and the food looks delicious."

My father came over to hug me. He gave me a worried look but said nothing. As I turned to go upstairs and change, my mother couldn't resist her old rant. With my back turned to her, I proved to myself that I could mouth the speech word for word as she spoke it.

"When are you going to give up this Ninja-nonsense Sakura? Its not fitting for a young lady to have to put her life on the line like this. You've served long enough, its time to start thinking about settling down. First you cut your beautiful hair and then you developed that terrifying strength. What man is going to be attracted to all that?"

I turned and looked at my mother. If I didn't stop this soon she cold go on like this for who knows how long. I started out softly, but I let my voice raise in volume until I was nearly yelling. I just couldn't seem to help it.

"Mom, Dad, I got promoted to Special Jonin today. That's why the training was . . .extra hard this afternoon. So stop asking me to give it up and stop telling me its nonsense!"

My mom caught her breath in mid-sentence. She turned pale, and then grey. Her eyes grew misty, and then she looked away. I felt a small pang of guilt, but her rants made me so frustrated sometimes. I needed to remind her how serious being a kunoichi is to me. My dad looked at me with a mixture of pride and thoughtfulness.

"Now Sakura," he said in his scratchy tenor of a voice. "You know your mother is just worried about you. Especially when you seem to come back from every mission with new scars. There were even rumors that you were killed on one mission to the Hidden Village of the Sand."

I nodded sheepishly. "I know. I just . . . this is my dream. And besides, its not like I haven't got a boyfriend."

This made my mother perk up and my father gape in surprise.

"What!" my mother cooed. "You finally gave up on chasing that Uchiha boy around? Who is he? Have I met him? Is he handsome? Well?"

In horror I realized my error. I tried to change the subject.

"Uh . . .let me go get changed." I said with real embarrassment and flushed cheeks. "Then I'll come back down and tell you all about him."

I could hear my mom chattering excitedly all the way up to my old room. My mother had left it in th same condition it had been in since before I moved out. It was still very pink and veryfluffy, with all thirty two stuffed animals piled onto the bed. She even kept several changes of my street cloths handy. I picked an old favorite faded red t-shirt with a white circle on the back and a knee length black denim skirt. Once back downstairs, I managed to eat a reheated dinner, blow out seventeen candles, and open some cute presents without incident. It was almost pleasant, but I knew the questions would be coming. No way my mother would let something like the subject of a new boyfriend drop so easily.

"So," she said teasingly, ambushing me while I still had a mouthful of cake. "Who is the lucky guy, hmmm? How long has this been going on? I'll bet he works at the hospital, am I right? You were spending a lot of time there last fall." My mother's eyes got really big and sparkly. I thought she was going to get up and dance. The room suddenly felt very hot.

"Oooh! I bet he's a doctor! Come on Sakura, you can't hide it from me."

I looked at my father, who was sulking and pretending not to be interested. Yet I could tell he wanted to know too. He was the one I was really worried about. I'm still cursing my thoughtlessness, but I suppose I would have had to deal with this sooner or later. I sighed. Very softly, I mumbled . . .

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"What?" my father asked darkly. My mother gasped and covered her moth with the tips of her fingers. She glanced worriedly at her husband.

"Its Naruto Uzumaki." I said more loudly, but I knew my voice was quavering.

"Absolutely not!" my father said sternly. His fist came down on the table, declaring his judgement like a gavel. "I forbid it!"

With that, he stormed away from the table.

I gripped the hem of my skirt as I sat cross legged at the table, and fought back tears. It had gone about as well as expected. My father doesn't hate Naruto. He doesn't even really fear of him either, like so many in the village. If anything, he pities Naruto.

Its all about principal for my father. His sister, like so many others, was killed in the Kyubi's assault, just a few months after I was born. My father was a big supporter of the Third's law that no adult should talk about or mention what was sealed inside Naruto. In other words, my father desires nothing more than to forget about the past completely, and move on. Although my father does not blame Naruto, he is a constant reminder of a past event he has vowed to forget. It really bothered dad that I was on the same team as him, but somehow he got past it. I'm not sure, but I think it had something to do with Kakashi-sensei.

My mother got up from the table walked over to me as I still struggled with my tears. She gave my shoulders a sympathetic squeeze and said, "It'll be alright, dear." Then, she retreated quietly from the room.

The tears began to flow, and I tasted salt on my lips. It wasn't as if my father was going to keep Naruto and I apart. I just miss him so much. Right then, I needed him more than anything. I needed to feel his warm embrace again, needed to look into those deep blue eyes and see that ear to ear grin. I needed to feel his touch, wanted so desperately to repeat the passion of that night before he left, and lay next to him shamelessly, letting his heartbeat sing me to sleep.

Instead, as I prepare to go to sleep tonight, I feel lonelier than I ever have in my whole life.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's a nice long chapter for you folks. I tried something else risky in this one. A stream of concious. I thought, "How often do you get a chance to use stream of concious?" What better than meditation. Hope it doesn't take the reader out of the story too much. Oh well, love to read what you wonderful people think.

* * *

"_She feels deeply, that one. I know that worry's you in training her. But trust me Kurunai, she has a way of surprising you when you least expect it"_

_-The Fifth Hokage, while discussing the future of Sakura Haruno_

_From the Training Journal of Haruno Sakura, 29 March 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

I hadn't trained in a dojo since my academy days. There was never any point with my Master or even under Kakashi-sensei. Chances were that the type of training we would be doingwould destroy the building. The Nara clan has a beautiful dojo, though, and genjutsu training would cause no harm to it. That was what Kurunai-sensei promised me anyway. The floor was pure mahogany wood, and there were no tatami mats. Sunlight filtered in through seven rectangular windows that were segmented and filled in with opaque paper in the traditional stylerather than glass. Light also sneaked its way through the thin crack that marked the parting point of the sliding doors at the entrance.

The front was adorned with a large balsa-wood shrine. Water cascaded down beneath the shrine through a fountain that was both outside and inside the dojo and into a pool of polisheddark rocks. Bright orange fish swam in the indoor pond, and the water trickled with a harmonious rhythm. The shrine was framed by two large golden gongs, and the Nara familyfounders were placed above the shrine. Shikamaru and his father were very gracious hosts, and fed us a breakfast of small pastries and eggs before Kurunai-sensei began the training.

My new teacher took the opportunity to review some genjutsu academics with me before we began, and already I began to learn new things. Once this conversation began, the Nara clan members excused themselves. All at once I was alone with team nine's former teacher. Her strange eyes made me feel uneasy, and her reputation for mind techniques made me wonder if even my thoughts were safe from her.

"Sakura," Kurunai-sensei began casually. "Kakashi tells me you are well read and are already very decent at dispelling simple genjutsu on your own is that correct?"

"Yes," I said. "Well, I mean I suppose. But I also know I haven't faced any really dangerous genjutsu yet."

"Indeed." nodded the genjutsu master. "Tell me, what do you know of creating your own genjutsu to attack with?"

I reverted back to my studies at once, producing a textbook answer from memory.

"In order to achieve a successful genjutsu, one must first establish a connection of the mind with an adversary. This can be accomplished through any of the five physical senses. For example, The mind can be ensnared through vision by means of a simple gesture. Other examples include the use of a properly encoded object such as a ring or fan. Its up to the shinobi to be subtle and find ways to combine or hide ensnaring gestures and items. In rare cases a bloodline limit such as the fabled Sharingan can enable the genjutsu user to "match senses" with the target. Audio connections can be established through music or . . ."

"That's fine, Sakura." Kurunai interrupted with a small amused smile. "What's the next step?"

I had to think for a moment, as my train of thought had been interrupted. It wasn't long before I remembered the next passage from the book, "The Art of Illusion." by Mai Shironai.

"Once a connection is formed the ninja must maintain control of the enemies's mind by forcing chakra through the neural pathways in a subtle manner. Forcing chakra too quickly will alert the target, and moving too slowly risks precious time in battle and leaves openings for the enemy. Also, if the target suspects an attack before the justu is complete they are likely to break free of their own willpower. Therefore, the ninja must understand the mind of the enemy, and use the art of illusion creatively to complete the mental trap."

"Very good, Sakura." said Kurunai nodding again with approval. "I can see where your reputation as the smartest in you class comes from."

I felt my spine straighten with pride.

"But one can know all the rules to Shogi, and still lose every time."

She just had to burst my bubble, didn't she?

"For example," Kurunai continued without sympathy. "How might you achieve a visual connection without your enemy ever knowing you are there?"

I had no answer. I could recall nothing in any of the books I had read. I _hate_ not knowing the answer. It drives me almost insane. I thought I might blow a fuse if she didn't tell me the answer soon. Of course, she didn't. What was worse, she continued with more questions I could not answer.

"Or, what if you are up against another genjutsu user? How will you recognize your own genjutsu from that of the enemy? Don't assume just because an illusion was your idea that the enemy won't be able to turn it against you."

I was getting tired of this game. I felt like yelling and asking her to get to the point. I somehow managed to keep my emotions in check.

"Sensei," I said with as much sweetness as I could muster. "Please teach me."

"No, Sakura." the dark-haired woman said softly as she stood and smoothed her black kimono over her legs. "I can advise you and give you exercises that will help, but you are mistaken if you think I can teach you genjutsu. Its something you must teach yourself. Understand?"

I nodded, as I stood opposite her in the middle of the dojo. I understood the words, but I still wasn't sure about the meaning.

"Where do I begin?" I asked.

"Before you can master the minds of others," said my new teacher, "You need to become a master of your own mind."

"How do I do that?" I asked.

Kurunai smiled and held up a small green elliptical leaf.

"Meditation."

"Meditation?" I repeated dumbly. "What's the leaf for?"

"This will be your first anchor." Kurunai said.

"My . . . anchor?" I felt like some dumb tropical bird just repeating everything, but nothing was making any sense

"It's a tradition in Konoha." Kurunai explained. "I'm sure Iruka-sensei had you concentrate your chakra on leaves at the academy?"

Images flashed into my head. Images of fun days where I got to go home early after I made a leaf stuck to my forehead twirl like a pinwheel. Images of a delinquent Naruto and a few others being held late after school with Iruka-sensei because they had missed he exercise completely. It made me giggle.

Kurunai sensei raised a thin dark eyebrow. "What's so funny?" she asked pleasantly.

"Nothing." I said. "I just have fond memories of those days is all."

"Your anchor is the key to holding a genjustu once your connection to the mind is established." Kurunai explained. "You need to discover how to transform a physical object into another reality in your mind that it becomes the essence of your identity in the mind of your enemy. You've experience genjutsu before. If you think about Kakashi's style for instance, you'll recognize that he kept the leaf as his anchor when performing genjustu.

I thought back to that fist test Kakashi -sensei gave us. That first horrible genjustu, in which I had failed miserably at the sight of a mortally wounded Sasuke. My eyes widened as I remembered feeling light headed, as the wind blew and swirling around me were . . . leaves!

"Yes. Yes, I remember now that you mention it!" I said excitedly as something was finally beginning to make sense. I remembered another example. It was something Naruto told me about the genjutsu the Sand-nin endowed with Itachi's power had used on him. "And Uchiha Itachi's anchor must have been . . . the raven."

Kurunai nodded. "I had heard rumors he had gone to some animal or bird as his anchor. The raven suits him. So, its obvious from that example that you don't have to stick with leaves. Genjutsu is a very personal art. Always keep that in mind as you train. For instance, I prefer to anchor myself with a whole tree. Something so large is quite advanced though, so we always have students start out small."

"That makes sense, I guess." I said. But something wasn't sitting right with me yet. "But, I don't understand how this symbol is going to help me keep control of a mind."

"You misunderstand, Sakura." Kurunai said seriously. "The anchor doesn't help you hold the mind of the enemy, it makes sure you keep hold of your own."

My jaw dropped as my breath caught in my throat. Was she saying I could lose my own mind performing genjutsu?

"Genjustu can be very dangerous, Sakura. Even against a weak opponent, with no genjutsu experience or recognition of the threat, if you don't anchor yourself properly you could risk becoming lost in their mind. If this happens, your own neuro-pathways will begin to shut down as a fail-safe for the body, and you might never fully recover your mind, or your sanity. This is why we would never teach genjutsu to someone like your teammate, Naruto. The risk is too great for those without an aptitude for this kind of combat."

At last I thought I understood. But I had one more question.

"So, how do I know when I have a good anchor?"

"That, Sakura, is the question you must answer for yourself."

I nodded solemnly. This really wasn't going to be easy. It was difficult on a level I never imagined. My teacher placed the leaf gently into the palm of my hand, and closed my fingers around it for me. Holding my hand in both of hers, she looked at me with spiraling ruby eyes.

"Concentrate on this leaf, the peace of the dojo, and the flow of the water." she said. "Meditate, meditate, meditate. And just when you think you can't possibly keep it up any longer, meditate some more. I'll be back for you in the morning. Its best not to eat, and if you fall asleep, well, you'll just be wasting your time."

I tried not to look as terrified as I felt. What kind of patience was this going to require?

With that, my teacher left me. I was on my own.

"Master of my own mind?" I whispered to the leaf as I sat cross legged on the wooden floor and closed my eyes. I had only one more thought before I became lost in a long, long, meditative trance. "Naruto, I've gotten so much stronger, but I have a long way to go. Please wait for me."

* * *

"_Ninja with unlimited imagination are limited only by the degree of faith they have in their ability to make their visions a reality."_

-_Mai Shironai, The Art of Illusion_

_From the Training Journal of Haruno Sakura, 30 March 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

It is difficult to write from memory what goes on in the mind during meditation. Especially twenty four hours of meditation. The hunger and the fatigue are easy to remember. The soar muscles and the four different postures tried are easy to remember. But the ebb and flow of a mind that is trying to achieve a state of nothingness is difficult to recall. Yet somehow I must. I failed to understand my connection to my anchor. That much was obvious when Kurunai sensei came to test my progress this morning. There must be a clue somewhere. The following is my attempt to piece together the experience of the past day.

_On crossed legs, I breathe in. Water flows, a leaf warms my forehead. My new cloths feel cool but they lift away along with my soul, my chakra. The chakra flows like the water, my eyes are light, my world is darkness. I breathe out._

_I feel his breath on the back of my neck._

_On my back, I inhale. Tine slows, fish splash, water trickles. A leaf stirs, a leaf falls. I search for te leaf, the wind catches it. I grasp for it. The wind takes it away. I fall, I spin. A water __drop sends out ripples. I spin and ride among the ripples. I fall into the water, and I am swept away. I exhale._

_I surrender under his gaze._

_On my knees, I smell. Freshly cut grass. Candy and burning wood. The water boils. I am burned. A leaf is crushed, its debris scatters on the wind. A drop of sweat crawls down my spine. Time stops. Steam carries me away on the sound of howling wind. I sigh._

_His power lingers in my soul._

_On my hands I gasp. The leaf multiplies. A fog settles. Sweat pours like water. The leaves sail away, on the backs of tiny creatures. I am color. I am the void. I am everywhere. I am nowhere. A darkness disturbs my peace. I seethe._

_Naruto._

Somehow I stayed conscious and focused . Somehow I fended off hunger. There has to be a lesson in this stream of consciousness somewhere. There seems to be two consistencies, and that is that again and again the object of my anchor, the leaf, eludes me or taunts me. The other is that my focus would drift to a far away place. On him. Kurunai sensei very quickly demonstrated my lack of progress.

I sensed her coming as she quietly entered the dojo, but I kept my meditation posture and did not break it even as she greeted me with a pleasant tone to her voice.

"That's enough for now Sakura," she told me, and at last I opened my eyes and stood to bow in greeting.

I had stood too quickly. My knees felt stiff and weak and I was starving. I thought I might pass out but I was determined not to lose face in front of my teacher. Somehow I fought off the dizzy spell that followed and managed a genuine smile. I noticed right away that Kurunai-sensei was not wearing her combat Kimono, but a simple black dress.

"Now then," said my teacher. "Lets see what you've learned about yourself. This won't take long. I'm going to place you in a simple genjustu. I'll be forming the connection so allow it to happen, I already know you are pretty good at dispelling. What I want you to do instead is try and form your anchor and hold onto it while my genjustu attempts to distract you. The longer you can hold your anchor will measure how well you are progressing."

"Yes, Sensei!" I said smartly. I prepared myself by adopting a comfortable posture. I could do this! I would prove it to her. All I would prove is that I have such a long way to go indeed.

I felt only a slight uneasiness as the light in Kurunai's ruby eyes flickered ever so slightly. A small sapling began to grow before my eyes in the middle of the dojo. It started as nothing more than a bean-stalk or weed, then slowly morphed into wood, almost as if Yamato Sensei were using his Mokto-jutsu. But I knew right away that I was now in Kurunai-sensei's genjustu. She still stood calmly in front to me and regarded me as if nothing unusual was happening. She even spoke with moving lips.

"Now, instead of forcing chakra through your own mind as you would to dispel this, reach out for mine with your chakra. Don't forget to visualize your anchor. You can take a leaf right off this tree if you wish, and make it your own."

I imagined a leaf being plucked by an invisible hand from the sapling as it continued to grow into a lager tree, and I was fascinated and encouraged as my imagination became reality in front of me. I commanded the leaf to hover in mid air in front of me, and made it spin slowly.

"Good." said Kurunai. "Now we are in a neutral genjustu state. Can you feel the difference between my mind and yours? "

I could. The chakra flow was different. And the alien mind was all around me. I felt almost like I had left my own body, but was somehow still seeing through my eyes. The sensation was very strange. I noticed as I got excited, my leaf began to dance and twirl more rapidly. I nodded to my teacher in response to her question.

"I . . . I revolve around that leaf, everything else is a flow. Like water."

Kurunai smiled at me and nodded. She seemed pleased.

"Good. I'm starting now. Hold that feeling for as long as you can."

Without warning, a vine crashed through the wooden floor and wrapped around my ankle. I know I squealed in surprise because I am still embarrassed about it. My leaf leapt toward the ceiling, and I fought desperately with my mind to bring it back down, but it wouldn't obey me. As my frustration began to set in, more vines crashed up through the floor, spraying me with wooden splinters. They wrapped around my wrists and my ankles. I was lifted from the ground, and noticed that a large tree was growing from behind me. The vines stretched out from its branches like snakes. A large wooden branch somehow wrapped around my waist. I felt small thorns cutting into my clothes and flesh. I searched frantically for my leaf, but it was no use. It was gone.

I tried to dispel the genjutsu, to at least recover myself and find a way to start again, but it was no use. The vine-branch around my waist tore at my bare mid-section. The vines around my ankles tore and shredded my pants as they pulled my legs apart like a wishbone. In terror I realized I was being racked, and it _hurt._. A thin vine wrapped around my neck, and as it began to strangle me I tried to scream . . .

I suddenly found myself rolling on the ground clutching at my own throat. Kuranai-sensei was standing over me, offering me her hand. Trembling, I took it and she threw an arm around me to help steady me as I stood. She stayed their next to me, warm and supportive.

"I know that was difficult and painful Sakura," she said into my ear. "Please know I would never hurt you for real. You can see now how much trust this training is going to require from both of us. The effects will pass soon."

I had done horribly. What had I been doing for the past entire night and day?

"Sensei, I . . . I don't think I held it even for a second."

"Its alright Sakura. It can take even the most gifted students six months to a year to develop an anchor. Just keep working hard at it, and vary your meditation."

"Six months!" I repeated in dismay.

Kurunai turned to stand directly in front of me, a hand on each shoulder."

"Sakura, I know your eager to catch up with your teammates, but even Naruto's way of training with thousands of clones would be no help here. Genjustu is about one mind. If you get this down right, you'll be more than a match for anyone. Be patient with yourself."

"H-how should I vary the meditation?"

"Start by location. Then, when you progress a little further, I'll explain more about how to focus on your light and dark chakra separately, and how to use that to manipulate the mind."

This made sense to me in a strange way. There was a common thread linking each of the different elemental chakra. All chakra, regardless of its elemental affinity, was balanced between what ninja had come to term light and dark properties. The idea of genjustu on a basic level is to disrupt this balance in an enemy. I wondered if Naruto understood this. It had taken him a while to grasp elemental properties of chakra after all. Maybe there is still a chance I could catch up to him.

"You've had a long day and night." Kurunai said into my thoughts. My head snapped back up to meet her eyes as she spoke. "Take the rest of the day off, get some sleep, and then meditate the entire next day. I'll test you every other day."

"Okay," I agreed with a tired sigh. I was exhausted. It was time for something to eat and a lot of sleep. As I made my way home, I remembered something Tsunade told me about Naruto. It began with a question I asked her while I was struggling with the difficult training of learning to make antidotes for various poisons in Konoha's greenhouse. I don't know why but I didn't even write it down until now. This account is as detailed as I can remember it. I don't remember the date.

_"Master," I asked. "Some of these antidotes are so complex! If you don't have them made in advance and the patient is dying in the field, what good can we do?"_

_"That's very perceptive, Sakura. There is an emergency procedure that I invented to withdraw most of a poison from the body, and I will teach it to you, but right now its far too advanced for you to learn."_

_It wasn't often that I questioned the Hokage's training methods, but not knowing this emergency method made me useless against poisons in battle, even if I could make an antidote. I knew saving Sasuke meant going up against Ochimaru, and he preferred to strike with snake summons with all kinds of exotic venoms that could kill in minutes, or even seconds. I dropped to my knees and bowed low, placing my head just inches above the tops of my hands in the most respectful bow I could manage._

_"Please teach me now, Master! I'll learn that technique and master antidotes at the same time! I have no doubt."_

_Tsunade-sama was silent for a long time. I waited nervously while my heartbeat rang in my ears. Finally, she made the "chee" sound with her mouth that she sometimes does when she gets annoyed, and I thought she would refuse for sure. _

_Instead she said, "You are just like him, you know"_

_"Huh?" I risked looking up at the strange words. "Just like who?"_

_My master sighed and shook her head as she took off her latex lab gloves and tossed them in a nearby wastebasket. "Like Naruto. I once told him a technique was too advanced for him. You know what he told me?"_

_"Probably that he would beat you up with it," I said after a moments consideration._

_My master laughed. "No, no, he already tried that. He told me he would learn it in three days. I gave him five and bet that necklace he wears. Turns out he needs it more than me anyway."_

_Thinking of that necklace made me remember the day he came back with Tsunade-Sama. The day that she healed Sasuke. The day that Naruto and Sasuke fought on that rooftop, and the night Sasuke left. It had all happened so fast. In just one day my whole world, the whole reason I felt I existed at the time, came crumbling down. I relived again that horrible moment as Sasuke ignited his Chidori in a shower of blue sparks and an ear-splitting chirping noise and Naruto . . ._

_"Rasengan!" I gasped in startled realization. "The technique was the Rasengan."_

_My master nodded. "He learned it, and the first time he used it correctly was in a real battle. He saved my life."_

_I felt myself gaping at my teacher. _

_"Sakura Haruno," Tsunade-sama declared in a formal tone. "I'm going to teach you my emergency poison extraction technique! Use it wisely, for I'm holding you to your word."_

_"Yes Mam!" I barked._

_In a month I could extract poison safely from a fish. In two, from a pig. Three months later from a horse. The next week after that, Naruto returned. The training was supposed to take two more years. The first time I used it, was on Kankuro in the Hidden Village of the Sand._

I will learn my anchor in record time too. I just need to believe like Naruto.


	4. Chapter 4

The next chapter. Yeah . . .I hope this doesn't make the story drag. This is one of those scenes that might end up on the deleted scenes if this were a DVD animated feature or something.

I had a few objectives in mind though, the first being is that a study of Sakura absolutly can not be complete without including Ino.

I needed Sakura to revisit the conflict with her family, but I need to sow a progression of conflict, and I'm finding it difficult not to just jump to the solution.

Finally, I needed to develop my ideas on what light and dark chakra might be. Ino and my sexy little shower scene started to serve that purpose.

I hope you like!

* * *

"_Hey kid! You gotta concentrate! You'll never master the dark chakra going all googly eyed like that all the time! What? Don't you start ma! Keep that thing steady! Listen I know he mastered the light chakra easily but you know he needs . . . ouch!"_

_- The elder frog "Pa," in a training video recording labeled "Uzumaki Kyuubi Chakra Control Training."_

_From the Personal Diary of Haruno Sakura 30 March 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

I got home late this morning utterly exhausted. I had been meditating all night in the Nara-clan's dojo and I couldn't decide weather to eat first or just go to sleep. I really don't evenfeel like writing much either, but I still have a few things on my mind that I didn't feel like putting in my training journal.

Naruto. I miss him so much. As I meditated he kept popping into my mind in different visions. I thought it might be a distraction, but there were times I could swear he was right there with me. I experienced a deeper more profound mediation while focusing all of my thoughts on him just a moment ago, and I can't help but wonder if there is a connection I can use for my training somehow.

After a quick breakfast on some microwave breakfast rolls and toast I stripped out of my day-old clothes and stepped into the shower. I didn't even bother to wash my hair, and just let the warm water roll down my back with my head against the far wall. After staring at dancing leaves in my mind for a whole day, it felt like gazing at a beautiful morning sunrise somewhere high in the mountains just to picture his smile. I relished in the memory of his touch, and his childlike way of looking at me as he held me close that night. I clutched my arms across my breasts and hugged myself as I turned and let the water glide down the front of my body. If I could glow I felt like I would light up Konoha for the night if I could just hold this feeling.

But it was more than a feeling. My recent extended connection to my chakra had left me very aware of its nature, and as I thought of Naruto it swirled like fire within me. It felt light and free, almost like I could use it to fly.

Why hadn't thinking of Sasuke ever made me feel this way? I wondered. As soon as I thought of Sasuke, the chakra began to settle back to a flow that I was more familiar with within myself. As an experiment, I focused completely on Sasuke. I remembered his pearcing eyes. Not the blood red Sharingan, but his real eyes. Those dark and shimmering eyes were the ones that had captivated me back then. It was those eyes that I felt could always see right through me.

I remembered the way he confidently held himself. It was a confidence I so badly wanted to be a part of. I could almost still hear the amusement in his voice even as he called me annoying, or see the way he would brighten when I would cheer him in his rivalry with Naruto. The "thank you" as he left that day . . .

The last thought caused a cold feeling in my stomach. Sasuke is still out there somewhere. Konoha got an anonymous tip from "a friend of Sasuke's" that he was now with the masked Akatsuki member, training. It makes a little sense I suppose, since Kakashi-sensei says the mystery ninja definitely was a Sharingan user. I just still can't believe that Sasuke might go so far as to join Akatsuki.

These thoughts caused my chakra to feel heavy and slow. I was cold, but I felt like I could crush s diamond in my bare hands. I wonder if this is what Kurunai-sensei meant when she mentioned teaching me how to manipulate light and dark chakra.

I went back to thinking about Naruto the re

* * *

_From the Personal Diary of Haruno Sakura 30 March 112__th__ Year of the Leaf Continued_

I awoke to a pounding on my door. It was a distant thudding that annoyed me in my sleep like an alarm clock after hitting snooze for the third or fourth time. I pulled a pillow over my head but it was no use. That pig Ino is just too good at making a ruckus.

When I opened the door I was actually surprised to see her standing there. I had no idea what time it was. I hadn't bothered to check, but the gloom outside and the rumbling in my stomach told me it must be dinner time, and around dusk. I had slept the better part of the day.

"What do you want Ino?" I grumbled grouchily. "I was awake all last night for training. We have these mission rest signs to put on our doors for a reason you know."

She waved me off as she pushed the door open the rest of the way and brushed past me into the room. She was carrying something in two plastic bags, and it smelled good.

"Yeah, Yeah, Sakura, whatever," my blond rival said with a sigh. "You know you need to get up now or you won't be back on a proper sleep cycle to train tomorrow."

"I-Ino!" I complained, making a grab for her arm and missing. The action made me have to adjust my night shirt to keep the loose fitting garment from sliding off my shoulder. "I'm not even dressed! What are you . . ."

I narrowed my eyes at her as she proceeded to make herself at home, tossing the bags on the counter of my small kitchen. She was fully dressed in her usual purple and black kunoichi gear. I wondered vaguely why she was here, especially if she had a mission soon or was just now returning from one. It as only then that I noticed the smell of dumplings and perhaps some kind of curry emanating from the direction of the bags. My stomach growled loudly enough for Ino to hear easily. She looked over her shoulder at me and smirked.

"Such a temper as always, Sakura. Well, if you don't want to share in this food I brought, I'm sure Choji would . . ."

I didn't let that stupid pig say another word.

"I didn't say that!" I snapped as I pushed myself past Ino and grabbed a spring roll with my hands while I got out some dishes to prepare a table."

I ate with reckless abandonment. I forgot to even say, "Itadakimasu" and I didn't even care that Ino kept comparing me to Choji and teasing me that maybe we would make a good couple. I've learned to ignore Ino fairly well over the years, but what she said next nearly made me choke on a dumpling.

"What would Naruto say if he saw you like this? He may dump you and then I would have to deal with all your emotional baggage again."

I had to hit myself on the chest to clear my airway, and as I coughed and wheezed Ino rolled her eyes and pushed my glass of water toward me. She grabbed a spear of barbequed pork and began to nibble on it with a bemused look on her face.

"How?" I coughed. "How did you know?"

"Oh - come - on – Sakura!" Ino said with a laugh. "You throw a going away party for him at the hospital and don't even show up yourself, but then I see you leaving the next morning? You're so easy to read. Besides, even someone like Sai could tell that you had it bad for that noisy troublemaker."

I stared at Ino for a long moment. "Sai said that?"

Ino nodded enthusiastically, then pursed her lips and put a finger to them, signaling me that she was trying to remember exactly how the conversation went.

"Well, his exact words were something like 'I think Sakura wants to have sexual intercourse with Naruto, but how will she do that when he doesn't have a penis?"

"Oh, he's got a penis all right," I scoffed. I had said it without even thinking.

I drank the water slowly, and tried unsuccessfully not to blush. Ino stared at me open mouthed for a moment before bursting out laughing. She rolled off her small cushion by the table and onto her back with laughter. I was blushing harder than ever now, and I tried to escape by getting up to clean off the table. Ino intercepted me, crawling forward on all fours and chuckling as she studied me.

"So . . tee hee . . so its true then? You really did . . ."

"It's none of your business." I said matter-of-factly.

Ino took a deep, noisy breath. The sound was both excited and curious at once.

"You did!" Ino exclaimed as she brought her clasped hands to the side of her cheek. "Ooooh! You have to tell me everything! How did it . . ."

"I said its none of your business," I repeated with a cold edge to my voice. I began loading the dishes into the dishwasher noisily to emphasize my serious mood. "The relationship

between Naruto and I must remain strictly professional. You understand, right, Ino?" I stopped what I was doing and looked her directly in the eye as I waited for a response.

Ino made a sour face, but relented.

"Fine, Fine." she said with a sigh. "If that's the way you want it." She studied me for a moment, twirling her long, blond ponytail absentmindedly with the finger of one hand. Her eyes had many questions in them, but they were serious ones beyond her sexual curiosity, so I returned to the dishes. I could feel her eyes on me though a she asked the one thing I dreaded talking about the most.

"You really do love him, don't you Sakura?"

I didn't want to answer her. The conversation was just making me miss him again.

"With all my heart," I said.

Ino sighed. It was a long and dreamy sounding one, and it almost made me laugh.

"I really am envious of you then."

I smiled. For Ino to admit that to me must have been like shaving her head.

"But all this reminds me," my platinum-haired rival said, as she immediately regained her composure. "I saw your mother today."

"Huh?" My blood ran cold at the mention of one of my parents. I still hadn't seen them since my birthday. Ino must have seen something in my expression, because she leaned over my kitchen counter with great interest.

"I knew it!" she declared. "Your mother is worried about you again. Every time this happens she comes into the shop to make small talk, but I can tell when I'm being interrogated."

I sighed deeply. "What did she want?" I moaned.

"Well, she bought some flowers that she said were for your dad, and then she wanted all the gossip on boys you and I had been interested in. Then she wondered if I knew anything about when . . ." Ino stopped. She put her hand to her mouth and I could tell she was holding her last inhalation.

"What?" I asked. "What is it?"

"She knows about you and Naruto, doesn't she?"

This surprised me enough that I couldn't help but ask, "She was asking about Naruto?"

Ino nodded. "Mmmm-hmmm. She wanted to know roughly where he went, how long he was going to be gone and all that. I didn't know myself and its all classified of course, so I couldn't tell her anything. Why would she want to know all that? What's she worried about?"

This conversation was already well past my comfort zone, but now it had crossed too far.

"I don't want to talk about it," I said as I brushed past Ino into my living room.

"Does your father know too?"

"Ino, did you hear what I just said?"

"Holy crap! He does!"

"Ino, please leave. I just want to be alone for a while."

My annoying blond friend placed herself in front of me as I searched for the TV remote.

"Sakura," she said with genuine concern. "Tell me what happened. You've never been able to hide your feelings when something was bothering you, you know? For once could you not be so stubborn and just talk to me?"

"Its nothing." I said. "Really, Ino. I just made the mistake of mentioning I had a boyfriend now. Naturally my mom wanted to know who. End of story."

Ino furrowed her brow at me. "No its not," she said.

She peered at me, as if trying to pull the truth right from my brain. I really wanted her to leave now, but that Ino really is pig-headed sometimes, and I knew short of tossing her out myself she wasn't going to leave. She gasped as if she had indeed figured out what it was I didn't want to deal with at the moment. Then she startled me by leaning down next to my stomach and poking me gently there.

"You're not pregnant are you?"

I felt my temperature rise. This had gone on long enough, and the implications that I might look fat enough to be pregnant made me snap.

"Do I look pregnant to you, Ino pig! It's been over four months since he left, I wouldn't be able to hide it any longer if I was! Now go home already! I have another long day tomorrow."

"I can't go yet." Ino said with a smirk.

"Yes you can. It's easy. Just walk through that door over there."

"But I haven't given you your birthday present yet."

I immediately felt sheepish. I had completely forgotten. I had been so busy that Ino wouldn't have even had a chance to see me in the two days since my birthday. So this was more than just her being nice by bringing me dinner after all. It was a belated birthday dinner. I smiled at her and sat down on the couch.

From her belt pouch she produced a small green box wrapped in blue ribbon. There was a small envelope of the same aqua blue color attached. It was the kind of gift women get excited about. The best stuff tends to come in small boxes. I think I might have actually squealed like a little girl again, not that I would admit it to anyone.

Ino watched as I opened the box eagerly. Inside was a pair of gold stud earrings. They were beautiful. A smiled at Ino as I began to try one on.

"Thank you very much Ino," I said. "They're very pretty."

Ino made an exasperated grunt and folded her arms in a signal of impatience.

"Read the card you dope!" she commanded at last. "Geez, what kind of person opens the presents without reading the card anyway?"

Ino had turned her face away from me in annoyance, but I could tell she was peeking at me as I read the card out loud for both of us.

_Sakura,_

_Before Asuma-Sensei died he gave our team a special gift when our team all became Chunin. They were silver earrings similar to these. They were to symbolize that wherever we went, whoever we ended up teaming up with, we __would always be together in spirit. I'm not very good with words, but I wanted you to know I felt the same way about you. So, wear one of these golden earrings and I'll wear the other. You are like a sister too me. _

_Ino_

I regarded my rival with tears in my eyes. I almost couldn't finish reading the note as my voice began to waiver and crack. It was just like when we were kids, before stupid concerns like

boys got in the way. I had no idea Ino could still be so sentimental. I put the earring on right away.

"Ino . . ." I began. "You . . .this means a lot."

"Don't kid yourself into thinking this means we're equals," Ino said grabbing the other and putting it in a second hole in her own right ear. "I'll still top you in a fight any time, and I'll surpass you in medical skills soon too."

Even though I was extremely touched, I wasn't going to just let her ramble on and ruin the moment.

"Ino?" I said.

"What?"

"Shut up."

"Right," she said with a little giggle. "Well, I guess I will be going now, then. Happy Birthday Sakura. And don't you dare become to busy for . . ."

"My father . . ." I interrupted. I had decided to tell her. It was more like I _needed_ to tell her. I had just realized a moment ago that if there was anyone I could talk to in the whole world about what I truly feared right now, it was this annoying blond. "My father will never accept my feelings for Naruto."

It took Ino a moment to register what it was I was telling her. And when she realized I was indeed talking to her about what was upsetting me she sat next to me on my old sofa. I was pleased to see her concern was genuine, and it encouraged me to continue.

"You . . . you know about my aunt, right?" I asked.

Ino nodded. "Of course. Everyone knows your aunt Rin was the one who . . . oh!"

I nodded at Ino as the serious of the situation began to take shape in her mind.

"That's right," I said. "And she was killed in the Kyuubi's attack."

"I see," said Ino. "So then when your father found out you were dating _him . . ._"

"He forbade it, yes."

Ino folded her arms confidently. "Hmph. So what? You're seventeen now and a Special Jonin. You can do as you please."

"Ino," I explained. "He can still make life very difficult for me. My relationship with my parents is strained as it is. You know that."

Ino sighed and nodded. "Yeah. I know."

She patted my knee. "So talk to him then."

"Huh? Ino, its not that simple."

"Sure it is!" Ino beamed. "Does he know how much you love Naruto?"

"Well, no," I admitted somberly. "But it doesn't make a difference."

"Well sure it does!" Ino cried, throwing her hands out in a wide gesture and then clasping them underneath her chin to make the most pitiful puppy dog face she could manage.

"Remember, you're still daddy's little girl. Never underestimate the power of cuteness and tears on a daddy!"

I laughed. "Thanks Ino. You're probably right. I should talk to him. I . . .I just don't know if I'm ready yet."

Ino tilted her head and smiled. Then her face went passive as she thought of something.

"Its hurting your training isn't it?"

How could she know that? I wondered. I pressed my lips tightly together. I wasn't going to admit my training struggles to her.

"Come on Sakura, I know it is. Shikamaru was the one who told me you were meditating all day in his family's dojo. Besides, no one's a better expert at meditation than me."

"You?" I snorted. I didn't want to laugh at her at a moment like this, but the thought of that woman quieting her mind was just ludicrous to me.

"Of course!" Ino said, looking a little stung. "How else do you think I learned the mind-transfer jutsu at the youngest age ever for my family?"

I bowed my head, feeling a little foolish.

"Its not that far removed from normal genjustu you know, except the beauty of it is that you don't need an anchor for mind transfer or mind control techniques because you are dominating the motor centers of the mind completely with your own will. It's very advanced."

I smiled at Ino, and for once I didn't try to compete with her pride. Maybe I could really learn something from her. I had been helping her with the medical ninjustu, so in my mind it was a fair exchange. I decided to yield to her experience.

"I know it is, Ino."

Her reaction was priceless. I should surprise her by being nice to her ego more often.

"And yeah, I guess it is effecting my meditation a little."

Ino smiled. "You just need to confront this and put the worry out of your mind. When you have no worries is when you find your center the fastest."

"Thanks Ino," I said. "In any case, I feel talking about it with you has helped a lot."

Ino nodded and looked into my eyes. We shared a moment that was beyond the need for words. It was the comfort and understanding of best friends . . . of sisters. I couldn't let her leave without a hug, though I think we both understood that as far as the rest of the world was concerned such a moment never existed. But here in my heart, it will live forever.


	5. Chapter 5

A short chapter. Next one needs to be long.

I'm kind of getting annoyed with my characterization of Kurenai. I don't know, she just stands around and nods her head a lot. I hope i can spice her up a bit soon.

I made Jin Haruno kind of a cross between the Nutty Professor an Mr. Weasly from Harry Potter. The technology in Naruto is sort of this funny thing that pops up every now and again. When i first got into Naruto, my first impression of the thing was . . .

"Oh! Its Harry Potter for Ninjas!"

I mean Sakura practically screams Hermoine to me sometimes . . .

At any rate, I decided to try and give my take on how technology is integrated into the world of Naruto by having Jin complain about it.

The Valley of the End at last . . . and yeah her anchor is Sakura petals . . . what else?

* * *

"_One to rule nations, One to serve them. Both to protect them._

_Where flame stands off against earth and water_

_Brothers to the end."_

_-Inscription on a tourist viewing Platform Plaque, Valley of the end_

_From the Training Journal of Haruno Sakura, 13 April 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

I've been reviewing my progress at holding an anchor for genjustu over the last two weeks, and every journal entry tells nearly the same story. My meditation steadily became more focused as I experimented with different locations, both indoors and outdoors. I meditated at home, on top of the Hokage mansion, on top of Mt. Konoha overlooking the village, on top of the hospital, at training ground three, and even that bench near the village gates. They were all places with memories, connections to my past, and yet somehow I felt them lacking. I don't think the past is a place one can exist for long, no matter how safe it feels.

My trials with Kurenai-sensei at the Nara Dojo have only proven more difficult. Even though I can hold my anchor now for nearly three and a half minutes, I feel like I am constantly on the run. I dread being locked in a mental battle with her. She doesn't always come at me with physical pain either. Twice I have been transported to places in my past. I can handle a false Sasuke in mortal danger, but reliving the night he left, forcing me to go through that again, I had to turn away. I didn't care about the stupid leaf anymore.

The second time was today, and it was particularly brutal. I was returned to the first time I saw the horrible power that lay within Naruto. The bubbling beastly black form of a Naruto with four tails battled Ochimaru with terrifying power. The battle reshaped the landscape itself. It as real as it had been almost two years ago. I knew better than to run toward him in a four tailed state this time, especially sense I was trying to keep my concentration on my anchor. But this time Naruto came after me. His demon form struck at me faster than I could move. Yamato and Kabuto were no where to be found. I was suddenly on my own, just me against the Kyuubi. No amount of crying or begging was going to affect Naruto in that state. It was in that moment of feeling helplessness, that I lost my anchor once again. It was like something out of a nightmare. All the while, I was vaguely aware that Kurenai's trees were always present, as they were the only thing that did not feel quite right about the landscape of the memory.

"Good!" Kurenai-sensei said as we returned to the reality of the quite and calm little dojo. "You are starting to recognize my own anchor within the reality I build for you. Three minutes and forty two seconds that time. A new record."

"Sensei," I said darkly as I wiped fresh tears from my eyes. "Stay out of my memories from now on, please."

Kurenai shrugged. "I'm not doing anything except using what you give me Sakura."

"I don't understand." I told her.

"Believe it or not, Sakura, I've been going easy on you. All I have been doing is stimulating emotions of regret, remorse, or fear. The memories drawn forth as a result are yours. Once you do that, they become mine to control. Think back to your meditation sessions. Have you been dismissing your emotions in order to center yourself, or flowing with them?"

It was a simple question, but one that was difficult to answer. I wondered what she meant by flowing with my emotions. When I did not answer for several moments, Kurenai-sensei continued after a heavy sigh and a shake of her head.

"I take it you either don't know or aren't sure. Let me tell you I can tell that you've been repressing them, shoving them out of the way in your search for peace and focus. Sound like anyone you know?"

My thoughts immediately jumped to my other teammate, Sai, who had been trained since he was very small to repress and eliminate his emotions. Kurenai saw that I had realized who she was referring to.

"You should know," my teacher explained, "that members of Root are particularly susceptible to genjustu, thought they would never admit it to themselves. A truly balanced mind harmonizes with the heart, it does not dismiss it."

"And, I'm not balanced?" I asked. I knew there were things bothering me, but not to the extent that I could not reach a balance within myself. I began to wonder if I had been doing things all wrong this whole time.

"You have a lot of fear remorse stimulating the chakra in certain areas of the brain, Sakura. I can see it as bright as a beacon when I connect with your mind. You want to control that flow by allowing your emotions to come to the surface at a controlled rate. That means you have to be aware of and accept all of them. The more uniform and balanced the chakra flow through your brain, the less I will be able to exploit it, and the stronger your anchor will become."

I thought of Ino and the conversation we had two weeks ago.

"Be aware of and accept my emotions." I thought out loud. "By talking about them?"

"That is a good method," Kurenai-sensei confirmed. "It helps with awareness. But harmony must come from within."

My frustration began to boil over. "Why am I just being told all this now!"

"There's a difference between being told something and understanding. If I had told you this right from the beginning, you would not have understood."

"So I need to meditate with my greatest fears in mind?"

"And your greatest joy. Think of a place and time where you can do both."

Realization began to dawn on me. "This has to do with light and dark chakra, doesn't it."

Kurenai nodded approvingly. "One step at a time, Sakura."

I went home feeling very fatigued as usual, but this time I had a new purpose in mind. After I get some rest I will being requesting a leave of absence from Tsunade-sama. I can only think of one place where both my greatest fear and my greatest joy last collided. I need to see that place for myself, I'm sure of it. I just need to make a few preparations. I'm not looking forward to all of them.

* * *

_From the Personal Diary of Haruno Sakura 14 April 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

My father is always tinkering with something. He runs Konoha's largest construction company, and he could sit back and let others do all the work if he wanted. Still he prefers to work with his hands. He says it makes work more meaningful to him. He is not satisfied just fixing things either, he always is trying to build something new and useful; something nobody has ever seen before. My mother tolerates this obsession as an unavoidable hobby, but to my father its serious business. Its serious business to us too on those occasions when he almost blows up the house or electrocutes himself.

I find him in his workshop, trying to get his latest invention to work. Its usually a smart idea to stay out of the workshop when he is in there unless you are wearing a helmet and eye protection, but I needed to catch him at a moment when he would be alone and I didn't have the time to properly suit up

The workshop was really nothing more than an extension my father had built onto the house, and I found him busy with a welding torch and a thick metal plate covering his face. He was working on welding together what looked like two halves of a crude looking little metal man.

I waited behind him until the torch was simply hissing quietly, and then said, "Hi, daddy."

My father turned and lifted up his face plate, revealing a dirty and grime covered mug. He smiled and his white teeth gleamed in contrast.

"Sakura!" he said cheerfully. "What a nice surprise! Oooh, I bet you came to see it, didn't you? Ah . . . I told your mother it wasn't quite ready yet. But look! You're just in time for a test run."

I knew my father was excited because it was the most I had heard him say in quite a while. I couldn't see the face of the little metal man, but it had a drum shaped torso and lampshade shaped head. It had arms that looked like they were extendable or flexible vacuum cleaner attachments and treads in place of legs or feet. It was the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen. I decided to humor my father.

"What . . . What is it?"

"This," my father said turning the little man toward me. "Is my greatest invention!"

I sighed in my own mind. It was always his greatest invention, until it ended up reducing the workshop to splinters or shutting down three blocks of power in Konoha. This invention had camera lenses for eyes and a trapezoidal speaker for a mouth.

"I call him, Shigoto-boto! The household work robot!"

"Ro . . .bot?" I repeated. "What's a robot?"

"Bah! You're just like your mom, Sakura." my dad said. "Living under a rock.. Just because you live in a hidden village doesn't mean you need to keep yourself hidden from the conveniences of the modern world. Robotics is the most advanced technological field in the world, and I've created a masterpiece. Watch!"

My father flipped a switch somewhere on the back of the thing. It whirred and beeped, its little lampshade head rotating back and forth as it took in its surroundings.

"Boto. Sort. Laundry."

Dad's workshop also housed the laundry room. This was sometimes an annoyance for my mother. The little man made a small beep and rolled over to a basket of dirty laundry. It began to sort the items by color, using clamp like hands at the end of its arms.

"You're mother will love that," my father beamed. "He'll do all sorts of things."

I had to admit I was curious about the thing. I had almost even forgotten why I had come here in the first place. Almost.

"How does it work?" I asked. "Is it similar to a puppet jutsu, but automatic?"

My father made an exasperated noise.

"You see, this is what I'm talking about. We have television, camera's, short range and long range radio, and computers right here in the hidden village itself. Ninja didn't invent these things. We also have the latest in medical equipment, and tons of electric power, but we act like the world runs on chakra. We could benefit from technology more, you know. Like why do we still send birds for messages when outside our happy little hidden ninja homes I can go pick up something called a telephone and talk to someone in the Earth country!"

"We trust the ancient ways to keep our messages secure, I suppose." I said.

I didn't know why I was allowing myself to be drawn into this argument. My father has always been interested in the way the people we served went about their business. More so than most Ninja. I was out of my league. I decided to try and change the subject.

Here goes, I thought.

"And Dad, I actually came here because . . ."

"Oh no! Shigoto-boto stop! Boto. Stop!"

During my father's rant we had both paid the little robot no mind. Now it had taken it upon itself to find other things to sort. For some reason it decided it should sort some of the raw materials and tools that had went into its construction. With an extendable arm it had reached up onto the work bench and thrown greasy rags, screwdrivers, and other pieces of metal into the laundry bin. It was about to toss in the arc welder, and it was lit. We watched in slow motion as the dirty rags in the basket of clothes caught fire. I ran for a fire extinguisher. The smoke alarm went off.

When the smoke cleared and I finally had the fire out, we were left with a melted basket and charred black clothes crumbling to ash. My mother bust into the workshop with her ears covered and coughing. She took one look at the charred laundry remains and understood what had happened.

"Jin Haruno!" she yelled as my father looked for some place to hide.

I sighed. I decided right then wouldn't be the best time to talk to my father after all. I don't suppose I'll get a chance until after I get back from my leave of absence. I could postpone it a day, but the Hokage and Kurenai-sensei are already expecting me to leave in the morning. It would be bad protocol to waste their time, especially when I know how short handed we are at the moment. Three days shouldn't be too long to wait.

* * *

_From the Training Journal of Haruno Sakura, 16 April 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

It took me nearly a full day to reach this place. I stopped for six hours of sleep after traveling by treetop most of the way. Tsunade-sama and Kurunai-sensei had even asked why I wanted to come here. Perhaps they didn't need to. I was hoping to get a reading from at least one of them if they thought I might find answers here, but their expressions were so unimpressed I might as well have been out shopping for souvenirs.

The Valley of the End. What a magnificent place it is! The majesty of the falls between the statues made me feel small and insignificant. I still feel small and insignificant when I compare myself to Naruto and Sasuke. That's what this training is about; protecting them.

The two of them did battle in this place. Naruto still won't talk about it. All I know is what Kakashi-sensei told me about the sate he found Naruto in. I often wonder what I would I have done-what could I have done- had I been there. Probably nothing, but I think it may still be my greatest regret.

I'm not even sure what I'm doing here, only that it was just a feeling I had. Light and dark chakra, making genjutsu my personal art, becoming a master of my mind. It all pointed to this place somehow. It was as if the Sakura trees that lined the river on the way up the canyon to these famous falls were the ones calling me to this place, beckoning me in full bloom as the warm spring winds hit them. This place resonates with strange chakra, it swirls in eddies like the water as if some eternal battle was still being fought in this place between the two giant ninja statues. This day I would find my place among giants. I was sure of it.

I closed my eyes and breathed deep. It was time to begin. I kicked off my shoes and set

the backpack I had with me down on the riverbank. I looked around, making sure I was indeed completely alone, and shed my kimono and undergarments. I changed quickly into the hot pink bikini swimsuit I had brought with me. I have been told that one piece suits don't handle too well for this type of meditation, and that I shouldn't expect the top to stay on either.

I walked slowly out onto the calm waters of the pool beneath the falls, the backpack slung over my shoulder. A misty spray formed several rainbows in front of me as I drew closer to the roaring falls. Walking on the water I found a place where the downpour was minimal, and discovered a small dry enclave behind the falls. I set the bag down there and mentally prepared myself for training. At last I stood at the threshold of a cascading wall of water. I extended my chakra control outward, and stood under the water.

The force of the water was impressive. If I didn't keep excellent posture and chakra control I could be crushed. I knew this meditation might have some dangers, but I don't think I was truly prepared for this force of nature. My bikini top was almost immediately swiped from me, and I had to let it go, just like the troubles of my mind. I closed my eyes and concentrated.

I held my arms straight out to the sides, and traced a large circle in the ir in front of me before pressing my hands together in front of my chest as if I were praying. I concentrated on every drop of water. Time slowed. The water droplets were together as much as they were separate. I felt them on my fingertips, my shoulders, the small of my back, the tips of my breasts. The water was light and soft while at the same time they were heavy and hard. I felt hate, I felt fear. I felt resolve. I felt harmony. I felt peace. I felt regret. I felt despair. I felt . . .

I opened my eyes. It was all here. It swirled together inside me like the eddies at the bottom of the falls. The water rushed around me but the wind called to me. I called upon my leaf, my anchor. It danced for me in the currents before me, and eased the crushing pressure of the water. It vanished from site, but my focus remained. The wind rushed to me as the water flowed away from me, and then I saw them. They were carried from the orchard farther up stream.

Rose colored petals so perfect and smooth drifted lazily on the wind. They carried with them the answer that had always been there, but had somehow seemed superficial. Hope.

The Sakura petals multiplied when I asked them to, and they swirled around me in a beautiful pink cyclone. My chakra exploded outward, and I swear I felt the pounding water part and give me space. I exhaled deeply, and stepped out of the falls. I basked in the noon-day sun, letting it warm my bare skin as I smiled at the heavens. I had my anchor.

It was in this moment of clarity that I realized I was no longer alone.


	6. Chapter 6

This was a fun chapter to write. I tried to tie some things back into the manga and give the story a bit more action. I took a few liberties with Karin though. I hate not knowing much about her, but her "detect chakra from far away" ability from far away ability seems kind of lame for a fight. So . . . I tried to imagine how she could apply her abilities in battle, and the result is below. Thanks for your patience!

* * *

_Brothers, Cousins, Uchiha! Heed my words! You place your fate in the hands of men who would just as soon betray you and destroy you! Do not be fools! Stay with those you can trust! Trust in my wisdom, my power, and the Uchiha will rule this land!_

_-Madara Uchiha to the Uchiha Council, One Year before the Leaf_

_After Action Combat Report - Debriefing 18 April 112__th__ Year of the Leaf -_

_Ninja Team: Haruno, Sakura Event Type: Ambush Event Rank: A_

_Classification: SECRET - RELEASABLE TO THE VILLAGE OF THE SAND_

I had just finished training when I detected a slight chakra fluctuation that was not my own. It was impatient and angry, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I ducked back behind the waterfall where I had been meditating and into the small enclave where I had stored my gear. There was a chance whoever it was had not seen me, and I wanted to keep it that way. I might have mistaken the change in the environment for a tourist, as they sometimes frequent this location, but I was certain I had felt this chakra - this horrible angry and _broken_ chakra before. If he was here, then he was not likely to be alone.

I dressed hastily, taking the time only to put on my black combat type bra an equipment belt. I threw the backpack over my shoulders and took a moment to plan my next action. At best, I knew I needed to spot the enemy before they spotted me, at worse they were waiting strategically for me to come out of the enclave, where I would be an easy target on the open water. Unfortunately it was the latter.

I was just starting to climb the wet rocks behind the waterfall when someone got impatient with me and decided I needed to be encouraged to show myself. The whole earth around me began to shake as if it were an earthquake. I heard an angry howl from far above me, and from the noise I could visualize my attacker pounding the cliffs above with inhuman strength to start a rock slide. The rocks around me began to crack and tumble. I knew there was no sense in trying to stay hidden any longer. It would only get me buried alive.

I burst forth from the falls out onto the open water, my fists swelling with chakra as I searched for a target. I found three. A big man above and behind me at the top of the cliffs, a pointy-teethed swordsman on the riverbank, and a cocky red headed female in front of me. I had researched them thoroughly after our last encounter. They called themselves team Hebi, and they were loyal to Sasuke. It was figuring out exactly who Sasuke was loyal to anymore that was the hard part.

I doubted somehow that they had come to discuss such mysteries politely, and decided a quick offense was the best defense, especially since it was three on one. I loaded more chakra in my right hand and charged down the river at Karin, who just stood their smiling sweetly. She gave me a little wave just before the silver haired swordsman known as Suigetsu cut me off in a blur of motion. I leapt over his initial horizontal cut and somersaulted behind him. The impact of my landing caused a splash big enough to wet us both, but I managed to keep enough balancing chakra going that I didn't sink under the rippling waves. I ducked low and swept my leg at both of his, hoping to topple him, but he leapt nimbly in the air and turned in one motion. He held his sword aloft and prepared to bring it down on me full force.

This was a mistake in my mind. He wouldn't be able to dodge effectively in freefall and my next blow would crush both him and his sword. But I should have known his weapon was no ordinary sword. It just absorbed the impact of my intercepting punch. The recoil was impressive. I was sent skipping across the water like a stone.

Before I could recover completely, Karin was on me. She descended on me from above as I struggled to stand on unsteady waters. In her left hand she pointed a kunai for a killing thrust, in her right hand she twirled a net above her head. She threw the net and I saw it crackle with paralyzing energy.

I realized two things in that moment. The first was that their intent was to capture, not kill me. The second was that the combination between the two had been rehearsed, and would have worked if I was on dry land. The only way to go was down, into the murky blue depths of the Destiny River.

I cut the chakra holding me on the surface of the river and dove into the water. I removed my backpack and used its weight to help me dive faster, clearing my ears with a slight yawn. I needed to reach the bottom as quickly as possible. As long as I was submerged with nothing under my feet, I was at an extreme disadvantage. Underwater, the sound of the falls was multiplied to my right, reaching me as a muffled thunderous roar. It almost drowned out the whooshing sound of the danger following me into the depths.

Suigetsu had summoned ten long chakra eels. His silhouette above still had his palms pressed against the water. They darted through the water with blinding speed. I touched the bottom just as the first one reached me, and I swung the arm with the bag up to defend myself from an open maw full of jagged teeth. The bag tore free of my hand, its flap coming open and the contents spilling out into the lazy currents.

I made a desperate grab for anything I could save as I pirouetted underwater to avoid the missile like bite of a second eel. I came up with a single scroll in my right hand.

I cried out in pain as a third eel latched onto an ankle and began to wind itself around my leg. The eels made an eerie siren call in the water as they seemed to sense victory. I kicked the one off my leg with my free foot, and then grabbed another by the tail as it darted by. I swung this eel in a wide arc so that it impacted viciously with three of its comrades and they went sailing toward the surface in a bubbly tangle of light blue glowing chakra.

I pocketed the scroll in my pouch and bunched chakra in my legs and in my right hand.

"Shanarro!" I cried in a bubble-filled underwater voice as I launched myself toward the first target I could see. I felt the rocky bottom give way and crater with a tremendous shake of the earth as I propelled myself through the water. I don't think Karin saw me coming until it was nearly too late.

As I breached the surface like a dolphin, she did something to me that I still can't explain. I had enough of a strike prepared to knock her unconscious, but somehow she suppressed the chakra in my hand just before I connected. Could she not only detect and identify me by my chakra, as Kakashi-sensei's research encounter with her indicated, but also somehow suppress it? This would be very useful in Ochimaru's laboratories. I still connected under her chin with a satisfying thwack that lifted her off her feet and sent her head first into the river as I continued upward. It felt good. I'd wanted to do that for a long time.

I was almost at the pinnacle of my vertical motion when I became aware of Suigetsu suddenly appearing behind and above me with his sword held high. There was nothing I could do to avoid his mighty cut, and I watched in fascination as my body was split in two.

Sometimes the old tricks are still the best. As the two halves of my log replacement body fell away, I feared team Hebi might have the intent to kill me after all. Still, Karin didn't sound too happy with Suigetsu as she cursed him from below for being careless.

I heard the former mist ninja utter the word "replacement" as if it where a swear word as the white smoke from my justsu cleared and I planted my feet on his shoulders. I kicked out hard, sending Suigetsu into the river with a tremendous splash and propelling myself even higher into the air. I had aimed for the cliffs, intending to run for high ground, but I had momentarily forgotten about the deranged source of the cursed seal, Jugo.

The brute ran along the side of the cliff, using centripetal force and his chakra to keep him attached. He leapt at me and tackled me in mid air. His breath made me wretch as he began to transform and we tumbled into the river in a mess of arms and limbs.

He was huge and smothering compared to my tiny frame, and I gritted my teeth as his bear hug began to make my joints pop. I attempted to head butt him off of me, and he responded with a snarl, but his grip did loosen. A right hook connected with the side of my rib cage as he pushed away. I heard several ribs crack, and I knew that was one injury that was going to take a while to repair.

Then the eels were on me again. One sunk its teeth into my wrist as it wrapped itself around my torso, binding my arms to my body. I screamed a gargled scream as two more bound my legs. Finally, a third wrapped itself securely around my throat. I cursed as I tried in vain to reach the scroll in my pouch with the fingertips of my left hand. I was sinking, and soon, I would be drowning.

Before that happened I was treated to a tremendous electric shock as all four eels binding me pulsed. I screamed again, and then I blacked out.

I awoke moments later bobbing on the surface of the water like a fisherman's lure. I was still held fast by the eels. The numbing pain of electric shock let me know that I was still alive. My captures stood around me on the water.

Karin knelt down to look me in the eye when she noticed I was awake.

"Well, Well, that was quite a fight you gave us," mocked Karin. "Totally rude of you though, we just wanted to ask you some questions."

"Go to hell!" I croaked at her.

I screamed as another jolt of electricity coursed through my nerves. Panting, I glanced at the hungry looking maws of two eels poised dangerously over my head. The message was clear. At Suigetsu's command, they could tear my head clean off. Jugo was back in his normal form, but his eyes still glowed with demonic intensity and impatience. It wasn't long before he was unable to restrain himself.

"Give back Sasuke!" he roared.

Karin made an annoyed sigh as she glanced up at her brutish companion.

"I said let me do the talking you witless freak of nature!" she snarled.

Then in a sweet tone she said, "We just want the same thing as you, you see. Tell us where Sasuke is. I know you know."

"How the hell should I know where he is," I spat. "If I did, I wouldn't be here!"

"Don't play dumb with us!" Suigetsu interjected. "You know what's hidden here don't you?"

Suigetsu emphasized his words by having his eels squeeze me tighter. One of them hissed near my ear. I was almost impressed with their lifelike quality, but I was more concerned about finding a way out of this mess. I struggled to move my left hand at all. If I could just get my side pouch open . . .

"I was here to train and relax," I said truthfully. "You think I always run solo missions in swimsuits?"

Suigetsu harrumphed and folded his arms, indicating he wouldn't believe me even if what I told them made sense. This was bad. If the truth wouldn't convince them . . .

"Perhaps you hoped to entice Sasuke to come home with you like that," Karin said with a smile that sickened me. "Don't think it would have worked very well with that stick figure of a body of yours."

I wanted to punch her. Again. And much harder this time. She seemed to read this in my gaze, and absent-mindedly rubbed her jaw. I tried to shuffle my legs to see if I could get my pouch to ride any higher on my hip, but it was no use.

"Struggling won't do any good," Suigetsu said politely. "And you'll only make them mad. Better start talking, they're getting hungry."

I decided not to bother telling him his chakra summoned pets weren't like real summons and didn't have feelings, but it gave me an idea. If I could just shift the Mist-swordsman's concentration, even a little . . .

"Fine," I said in mock defeat. "But I warn you, Sasuke warned me that you three would show up someday. Believe me when I say he's not going to be pleased that you found him. He's likely to kill you all. Especially you, Jugo. You annoy him."

Jugo stared acidly at me and ground his teeth loud enough that I could actually hear the crunching noise. Karin's other personality broke in, and she slapped me.

"Liar!" she screamed. "You're just a jealous little whore!"

"You don't have to believe me," I said calmly. "But Sasuke finally rid himself of that cursed mark, and now he doesn't want Jugo anywhere near him."

I was grasping at rumors now. It was a dangerous game, lying to your captures. If this rumor was false and their information was better than mine . . .

Jugo bought it.

"Sasuke!" he bellowed. "No! He promised!"

Suigetsu stepped back in fear as Jugo began to transform, his facial features distorting as the cursed mark spread its black splotchy pattern over his face and body. The grip of the eels loosened only slightly. There was plenty of blood oozing from the bite on my wrist. It was all I needed.

"Summoning jutsu!" My voice rang out down the canyon, and a giant white pillar of smoke filled the valley, obscuring everything. When it finally cleared, I relished in the awed and terrified faces of my enemies. Even the manic Jugo looked stunned and uncertain about what to do.

"Hello Katsuya-sama." I said weakly as I began to heal my ribs. The eels had snapped and vanished completely. "Sorry to bring you into this, but I was having a bit of trouble with these three."

"Oh! Hello, Sakura-chan." The Matriarch of Slugs said wistfully. "I don't mind. Is this the Valley of the End? It's beautiful."

I wasn't sure how she could see any of it at all, since at the tips of her eye-stalks she was taller than the highest portion of the cliffs, and she blocked out almost everything besides the falls themselves beneath her. I leapt from her back onto her head to get a better view myself.

Below, Karin appeared to be arguing with Suigetsu about something. From what I could gather, they didn't know I could summon at a master level. I was about to show them what else Katsuya could do. Katsuya's bulk was blocking off the river and the valley was slowly starting to flood. I watched in amusement as Karin and Suigetsu scrambled for higher ground, pushing and shoving each other out of the way. Meanwhile, Jugo had decided to charge at Katsuya in anger.

"Katsuya," I said. "Would you mind capturing those three without hurting them please?"

"Oh," giggled the giant slug in her soft voice. "That should be no trouble at all."

A high pressure stream of some sort of blue liquid flew from what I'll call Katsuya's orifice. It caught Jugo right in the sternum and knocked him backwards. The liquid was actually a kind of sticky goo that began to harden as soon as it touched anything. Jugo was soon fastened to the rocky shore in a cocoon that even he could not budge. He struggled uselessly and snarled with only his head visible.

Karin was caught next. The spray fastened to her ankles and then quickly worked its way up the rest of her body, plastering her to the rocks a few hundred meters above Jugo. Suigetsu cut through the spray a few times with his sword, and he was faster than his comrades, but Katsuya seemed to have an endless supply of the stuff, and eventually Suigetsu wore down and found himself stuck upside down against the eastern wall.

"Thank you, Katsuya-sama." I told my slug friend. "That was great!"

"Anytime, Sakura-chan. That was fun."

"Do you think you could hang around for a moment while I interrogate them?" I asked the Queen of all slugs. "I wonder if they'd believe me if I told them I'll feed them to you if they don't tell me what I want to know."

"Oh dear, Sakura-Chan! I would never . . ."

I laughed. "I know, I know. Just kidding."

Moments later I was kneeling in front of Karin. She was covered in a hardened blue shell spread eagle and prone on the grey rocks. For once, she had nothing to say as she gazed up at me with fearful eyes.

"Now then," I said as I cracked my knuckles. "It's my turn to ask the questions."

* * *

_Intelligence Report - Debriefing 18 April 112__th__ Year of the Leaf -_

_Ninja Team: Haruno, Sakura Event Type: Rogue Ninja Investigation Event Rank: A_

_Classification: SECRET - RELEASABLE TO THE VILLAGE OF THE SAND_

This was my first interrogation. I tried to follow protocol with what little I had available to me, and considering the setting I think I did fairly well. After giving Karin the initial threat I dismissed Katsuya and set out to gather what supplies of mine I could still find. I found the backpack floating not far downstream, and was relieved to find that most of the medical supplies were still intact. There was also a change of clothes, but they were soaked and unusable for now. As I approached my prisoners again I realized I was getting pretty annoyed with Jugo's constant screaming and struggling. His cocoon was even beginning to crack a little. I gave him a finger flick to the temple and he lay still. The curse mark receded from his features, and for once the big man looked peaceful. Karin witnessed this and went pale.

With a special acid-based solvent one can cut through slug saliva in its quick-hardened form. I cut Karin loose from the rocks but left her in her cocoon and sat her up as best I could. This drew a string of curses and foul language from Suigetsu, who was still stuck upside down on the cliff. I wasn't really sure how I was going to get him down anyway, so I just waved politely at him.

I remembered that interrogation is as much about who to interrogate as it is about how. Sometimes it is best to choose the weakest link, and sometimes it is best to go with the leader. I chose Karin because I thought she might represent both.

Once she realized by the questions I was asking that I really had no idea where Sasuke was, she seemed to relax a little. She was less threatened by me now, which I knew I could use, but the drawback was she was determined more than ever not to share what she knew about Sasuke with me. I found myself wishing I had mastered even a little genjustu already. It would have been very useful in the situation I had found myself in.

It was getting late, and the sun was begging to sink on the horizon when I took a risk. I offered to help them find Sasuke, and though I told her I could not speak for Konoha, I told her I would not try to take Sasuke back on my own, that they would have the advantage if we were to find him soon. This would mean letting them go. Though the members of team Hebi were wanted criminals, I figured that if they worked with me they could be caught again.

This is where I left protocol. I am aware this decision was above my authority, and I will accept whatever discipline is decided upon, however I feel the information obtained as a result was well worth it.

The three of them had run into Kabuto, or more accurately Kabuto found them after a mysterious ninja in an orange mask took Sasuke from them. Karin said she was convinced he was from Konoha because he was acting like an idiot. Karin confirmed that Kabuto was indeed still slowly transforming into some kind of half Ochimaru – half Kabuto monster. Karin, who is said to still be loyal to Ochimaru's ideals, was terrified when she told me of this. Nevertheless, the mentally disturbed ninja scientist told me Kabuto wanted to help Hebi find Sasuke, and that he apparently wanted nothing in return. He kept saying it was all part of his new existence. For many months Kabuto had been sending them to investigate leads, and each time they had come up empty. They were getting frustrated with the man Karin kept referring to as a "freak."

This time Kabuto had directed them to search for a secret lair hidden within the statue of Madara, at the Valley of the End. They had come looking for it when they had run into me, and assumed I was investigating the same information. Hearing this, I took a few moments to check in and around the base of the colossal statue, but could find nothing.

Karin could not keep quiet about how she was certain she could detect traces of Sasuke's presence in this place, and that it was strongest by the waterfall where I had been meditating. I had thought at first that she was just feeling the remains of Naruto and Sasuke's battle those years ago, but as I returned to her finding nothing, I made my decision.

I cut her loose, but kept a kunai trained on her as I told her to lead me to the area where Sasuke's presence was the strongest. She held her hands out in front of her and closed her eyes like she was in some trance. Eventually, she lead me to the same enclave where I had stowed my gear while I trained. A close examination of the dark wall revealed the circle and stick symbol of the Uchiha clan, and other markings. The moment I touched the symbol a barrier activated.

Karin easily suppressed a barrier that would have made all my strength useless. I couldn't help but wish we had had her on our side when we were trying to save Gaara from the Akatsuki. Punching through was easy for me after that. I'll never forget the site that lay before us in the cavernous space within. There was a bed with old bandages lying nearby in the corner of the small cave. The bandages were crusted with dried blood.

Karin fell to her knees.

"Sasuke was here," she whispered. "And someone . . . someone very powerful . . . I . . .so much power."

Karin was actually trembling at this point, and it worried me greatly. She had been slightly afraid of me it was true, but even in the short time I had known her I could never have imagined her to be this terrified.

I pulled on some latex gloves and began collecting evidence at once.

The air was thick with the smell of sulfur and of charred flesh and clothes. There had been a terrible blast of fire in here. I was certain I was seeing the scars of Amaturasu, the Sharingan's deadliest flame attack. But Sasuke wasn't able to use it, as far as we knew. I wondered if it could have been the masked Akatsuki member, who also had the powerful eye technique. Regardless of who it was, to use a technique like that in here, in such a confined space . . . the result might be suicidal. It didn't make any sense.

I collected hairs, bloody bandages, anything I could get DNA off of. I checked in the wooden boxes of supplies, the small lamp on the crude nightstand by the bed. I was afraid it was going to be a dead end. Then under the bed I found a small folded up piece of parchment. I would recognize Sasuke's crisp angular handwriting anywhere. The note read;

_Sasuke,_

_I'm writing this to myself and hiding it within these scrolls in case I wake up and find I do not remember who I am. I think I've been here three days while this person claiming to be Madara continues to tend to my wounds. Though he is helping me, I do not rust him. His claims are outrageous, and I should dispose of him quickly weather it was what my brother really wanted or not. He's practically admitted to helping in the destruction of the Uchiha._

_However, I am an avenger, and if Konoha really was behind what happened that day, then nothing will save them from my wrath. But first I need to start where my brother left off, I need to discover the truth behind Akatsuki and this Madara. To do this I must join them. The day the Kyuubi . . ._

The rest of the note was torn off, and there was no sign of any scrolls on the nearby shelves. They must have been transported to a new location. There was so much in this note that I was still struggling to comprehend it all.

"Akatsuki," I whispered as I fell to my knees and let the note slip from my fingers. Karin, to her credit actually looked concerned as the tears began to well in my eyes. "No, Sasuke is . . ."

Karin picked up the note and read it. Then, without a word, she turned and disappeared in a splash through the raging waterfall. I didn't even raise my voice in an attempt to stop her from freeing her teammates and fleeing with them, and she kept the note with her.

In the end the note was no great loss, the DNA evidence of Sasuke's presence is overwhelming, and investigators agree with me on the Amaturasu scars along the cave walls. Kakashi-sensei is taking over the investigation for me while I complete my training. I only hope I can complete it in time.


	7. Chapter 7

This story just seems to move in a sin-wave. I wanted to keep the action going, but I needed another set up or else too much important stuff would get dropped. Still, I put some pretty neat action oriented stuff in this chapter as well. Sakura Season is already going to be about a third longer than Kissing the Wind, so I mnight as well go all out. I feel for Kishi now when he has a lot of explaining to do! LOL

* * *

_Minato is said to have pleaded with sad eyes,_

"_Don't look at me like that, Kushina, Sensei. Just keep the ritual going. You both know there's no other way. We weren't prepared for this, and the responsibility is mine. This disaster that's befallen us, there's something strange about it, but figuring out what it is, I leave that to you. And him, my precious boy." _

-_From "The final moments of a Hokage" – Konoha Archives_

_From the Training Journal of Haruno Sakura, 20 April 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

I don't know how, but I set everything aside. My fear for Sasuke, my longing for Naruto, my unspoken works with my father – all of it became a whisper in the dark in that dojo today. Kurenai-sensei stood before me just as she had so many days before; an ominous obstacle that I once feared would take far too long to overcome. Her ruby eyes flickered, and our minds connected again.

"Well Sakura," she said. "I've read the reports. Let's see if you had time to teach yourself anything about yourself in the middle of all that. I'm starting!"

I began with a leaf, as I always had, dancing between us. The leaf would not become remain my anchor for long. I waited. I waited until the vines crashing through the ceiling reached for me, waited when the trees burst fourth from the wooden floor, even waited as thorns shot out like shiruken from one of the trees. It was a three pronged attack on my mind. Every time I progressed Kurenai-sensei had been adding something new to her initial assault. In the past I dodged around while I tried to hold my anchor.

It took me until now to realize that I didn't have to dodge around. I just had to not be there. As the first vine coiled around my ankle, I exploded. I let my body dissolve into hundreds of tiny petals. I became an intangible swirl of Sakura blossoms in both my mind and that of my teacher. I was everywhere in that spiral of pink and I was also at the heart of it. I swirled faster and faster, and raced with the wind – a wind of my own creation.

I delighted in the surprised face of my teacher as I became a vortex of soft petals around her. I could feel her mind reaching out for my memories, my hopes, my fears. Her eyes darted back and forth as she tried to find me in the swirling flow. They would find nothing as long as I kept moving like this. I was anchored to her, and secure in myself.

I condensed into my true form behind her but kept a swirl drifting lazily about her as she turned to regard me. My face was set with determination. I wondered what she would try next.

Kurenai smiled and gave me only a slight nod of her head. Then she clasped her hands in front of her face and said, "Release!"

The connection broke instantly. And I was returned to the same spot where I had begun, and the dojo was as untarnished and as beautiful as ever. The morning sun filtered through the paper windows and doorways, and this time brought a glow of triumph with it.

Kurenai turned and began walking toward they exit. She was acting as if she wasn't going to say anything at all. I took a step to follower her.

"Sensei?"

She stopped with her hand paused on the sliding door.

"That was . . . impressive, Sakura. Meet me tomorrow morning at zero six hundred at training ground three."

"Tomorrow?"

I didn't try to hide the disappointment in my voice. I wanted to move forward today.

"I need to make some preparations. We're accelerating your training, unless you think you're not up for it?"

She tilted her head and smiled at me. It was warm and genuine. It was filled with something I had not seen in Kurenai-sensei in quite some time. Hopefulness.

"I'll be ready," I said smartly.

My genjustu teacher nodded, and then walked out the door. After she was gone, I did a little jump and dance to congratulate myself. I think I even did a back flip I was so proud. I can't help but wonder what she has in store for me tomorrow.

* * *

_Working Document for Research: Haruno, Sakura Date: 20 April 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

_Classification: Secret _

They won't tell me anything. So far my promotion to Special Jonin hasn't gained me access to any more information. Not even information that I collected. Tsunade-sama is being very careful with information these days, and who could blame her. Danzo still seems to be able to do as he pleases, and right now he's gaining support in many circles within the clans. I know we have to proceed with caution, and I must take care what I write or what I say about recent events. I know Kakashi-sensei will find something soon, if he hasn't already. I just want to be – need to be involved in the investigation surrounding Sasuke and the Akatsuki, even if Tsunade-sama insists I just focus on my training for now.

Since I have some time off today, I decided to look into a few things that have been bothering me about Sasuke's letter to himself. Sasuke seemed to imply that Konoha itself was behind the massacre of his family. Or at least, that it what the masked Akatsuki was telling him.

_Madara Uchiha._

Sasuke's writings also indicated that this was the identity of the masked Akatsuki. But that was impossible, and Konoha – the Third Hokage – would have never allowed the destruction of one of its own clans. That had been Itachi's doing. Nothing in Sasuke's note seemed to make any sense. It was possible he was just delusional. In fact, Shizune had suggested just that. But my master and Kakshi-sensei seemed to know something that they would not say, and it was obvious they were taking the note seriously.

Finally, Sasuke had mentioned the Kyuubi, and the attack that night. This disturbed me most of all because the rest of the note was torn off. How did it all relate?

For many hours I ran into nothing but dead ends at the classified vaults in the Hokage mansion. I made searches in classified computers and checked the safes frequently for hard copy scrolls. Everything surrounding the Uchiha Clan massacre and Itachi was above my level of clearance. I found this odd, as the event is common knowledge within the village, but the case is considered closed and not warranting further review. Records all indicated Itachi had acted alone, and that was all there was too it.

The events surrounding the night the Kyuubi attacked are also closely guarded. There were many accounts of bravery and heroism during the battle with the beast itself, but there was little chronological order to it all, and many details were blanked out with thick black lines. There was also a good deal of general history on Madara Uchiha, but the most personal scrolls were removed and marked with a pink invoice that read, "Under the personal care of the Uchiha clan."

I decided to go back to the beginning and start with what I knew. I now know, without documentation, who Naruto's parents were thanks to his trust in me. I also know that he is the son of the Fourth Hokage, and that it was his choice to seal the Kyuubi inside Naruto. 

Researching the sealing techniques needed to seal a bijuu lead to more "access denied" screens on the computer, so I tried a different approach. I ran a search for medical records from that night. Hospital invoices on supplies used to treat the wounded, types of drugs used; blood donors, and names and numbers of patients were my target. I was looking for the name "Uchiha" to pop up among the lists. None did.

It was like the Uchiha had miraculously escaped any involvement in the attack. Not a single wounded person or even a blood donor had come from their clan. I found this disturbing, but then I saw a name on the lists that made my heart stop for at least three beats. Rin Haruno.

I held my breath as I clicked her name. Several articles came up describing and honoring a fallen hero. I scanned her story quickly, looking for clues to what had happened to her. I had always been told she died trying to tend to those the Kyuubi wounded in the field, but the patient list indicated she had been in the hospital.

It began the day before. The words "Hokage" and "Naruto Uzumaki" caught my eye. I remembered something Ino had been babbling about several weeks ago, just after my birthday, before she got sidetracked again.

"_Of course. Everyone knows your aunt Rin was the one who . . ._

I thought she was going to say, "gave her life for my father during the battle."

But as I read on, I began to wonder exactly what it was that "everyone knew" that I did not. It could have been a number of things. Like the fact that it was Rin Haruno, who delivered Naruto Uzumaki for Kushina and Minato. The world was suddenly getting much smaller. But the story didn't end there.

On the night of the attack, it was Rin who carried the infant Naruto to a secure location, while Minato carried Kushina, who the article only describes as "the boy's mother", at her request. Rin and Minato had argued against her coming, for she was still in recovery, but Kushina would not be parted with her son. The article ended, and I searched for more by referencing Minato and his final night.

"The Hokage faced the demon on his mighty toad summon," the story read. "while a small group of trusted individuals, which included the infant's godfather, mother, and doctor prepared the sealing technique in an underground room of Konoha's Fire shrine. The demon sensed what was happening, and attacked the shrine. Kushina Uzumaki gave her life in holding a barrier to the shrine while the Hokage completed the sealing technique. The godfather tried to assist her but was knocked unconscious. The others made certain that the infant remained ready to accept the seal. When the technique was completed, only the young infant remained untouched in a half buried room."

I tried to image my aunts last moments, as she hurried to prepare Naruto for the sealing technique. As Kushina and Jiraiya stepped out of the room and went outside to hold off the beast just a moment longer. All of them doing all of this knowing exactly what it would mean for Minato and for Naruto. As Minato completed the seal, and the room collapsed around her . . .

I wiped tears from my eyes with trembling hands.

I wondered how I could ever face my father, but I knew if I was ever to get the whole story, and the truth of that night – If there was ever to be peace between us and my love for Naruto – it would have to be done. And soon.

I tried to push these thoughts aside for now, as my research was far from complete. My curiosity about the Kyuubi itself had been ignited, and I researched the history of its attacks. That's when I stumbled upon the link I had been looking for so many hours.

The last time the Kyuubi had been seen prior to its rampage toward Konoha was in none other than the Valley of the End. My gut told me this was no coincidence. I cross checked the Kyuubi with Madara.

And there it was. Madara was rumored to be able to control the Kyuubi with the Sharingan, but the article, which was a historical account of the final battle between the two founders of Konoha. The article dismissed the ability as a typical embellishment of the truth on such legendary events. Yet, if it were true . . .

Surely, there has to be someone who can tell me if this ability of the Sharingan existed. If anyone would know, I knew Kakshi-sensei would. He's been able to make the Sharingan do things I don't even think Itachi or Sasuke knew of. I'll have to discuss it with my team leader when he returns from wherever it is that Tsunade-sama sent him.

If the "legendary ability of the Sharingan" described in this classified article were true, and Madara were still alive somehow, then Sasuke's scribbles would logically mean the massacre of the Uchiha and the Kyuubi's assault were related somehow. The total lack of Uchiha involvement in the Kyuubi attack gave me a sinking feeling on the matter. It was a shame that the best person to ask was one of our worst enemies, and was now dead.

Itachi is the link. He has to be, I just need to figure out how.

If Itachi had learned how to control the Kyuubi with his level of Sharingan, it may be that he wanted Naruto for himself instead of for the good of the Akatsuki. Perhaps he was even helping Madara. Whatever this so called Madara is planning, I'm certain it involves the Kyuubi, and if Sasuke is willing to help Madara in Itachi's place . . .

Everything just always seems to lead back to Naruto. They'll be after him again soon, I know it. This time, Sasuke might even be with them. I must be ready to protect them both.

* * *

_From the Training Journal of Haruno Sakura, 21 April 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

Training ground three. Where everything that is important to me now all began. I wonder if Kurenai-sensei called us to this place on purpose. She was already waiting for me when I arrived, and had laid out a blanket and what looked like a breakfast near one of the old tree-stumps. She was sitting cross-legged on the snow-white blanket, meditating. She had a white, portable bassinet set up near her, and I realized with a surprise that she had brought her daughter, Kimiko with her.

Before I could ask, Kurenai-sensei took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and greeted me with a warm smile.

"Sakura," she said. "Good morning. Come, sit with me and have some tea. It's a bit chilly for an April morning, don't you think?"

The baby began to stir and make small cooing noises at the sound of her mother's voice. I had not yet met the infant, and I peered curiously into the bassinet before sitting down. She was beautiful. She already had soft dark hair, and her features looked so much like Asuma sensei. I couldn't help but smile as the baby began to whimper a little. Kurenai held a bottle and shook some milk onto her wrist to test the warmth.

"Please excuse us," Kurenai said. "The entire Nara clan is on assignment at the moment. Maybe you've heard of their mission."

I hadn't heard. I shook my head, and Kurenai shrugged as she switched to a high pitched girlish baby talk. I suddenly felt very awkward.

"Oh well, its not important. Isn't dat right, Kumi-wumi? You're going to stay with mummy while she trains Sakura, cuz Uncle Shikie isn't here. Do you wanna help?"

Kurenai scooped up the baby and sat down with her, then fed her the bottle.

"Go ahead and pour yourself some tea, Sakura, and I'll explain the next phase of your training."

I carefully poured some enticing smelling green tea from the thermos into a plastic, camping style cup, and took a sip. It was warm and refreshing. Still holding the baby with one arm, and holding the bottle between her chin and chest, Kurenai began laying out items in front of us on the blanket: A flute, a harmonica, a small satchel bag, a ring, a gold necklace, a feather, a tiny spherical bell on a chain that was just like the ones we used to try and get from Kakashi-sensei, and a small mirror.

"What are these for?" I asked.

"These," Kurenai said, "Are connection tools. You'll need to choose your primary sense for your connection method, though eventually you should become proficient at them all."

"I see," I told her with an enthusiastic nod. "I can choose whatever I like?"

"No," Kurenai said seriously. "You're primary method depends on your talent. The rest of the time . . ."

I squealed in surprise as tree roots snaked their way out of the ground to bind my arms to my side. The ground opened up behind me, and the roots began to drag me underground. I tired desperately to find my anchor, to become the swirl of Sakura blossoms that had given me such strength the day before. But I couldn't find Kurenai-sensei's mind anywhere. It was as if she had never connected to me. I couldn't release the genjustu either. The speed and timing had simply overwhelmed me.

Just before the earth closed around me I heard Kurenai's voice say. ". . .depends on the situation."

I awoke from darkness a little later still feeling out of breath. I shook my head and half expected dirt to pour from my ears, but I was sitting just as comfortably under the sun as I had been a moment before, and Kurenai was cooing and making sweet little noises at her precious baby wrapped snugly in a lavender blanket.

"Sensei!" I whined. "What was that for?"

"What was what for?" the happy mother before me said innocently.

"You just put me under a genjustu!" I growled impatiently, folding my arms across my chest. "How? I didn't even feel it coming."

"Exactly," said Kurenai.

"Huh?"

She was doing it again; being all cryptic. I had hoped we were past that phase.

"Sakura, up until now you've been training in a controlled environment. Do you expect it to always be that way?"

"Of course not," I said. "But . . ."

"But this is essential, Sakura. The key to genjustu isn't power or technique, its subtlety and imagination. You must, I repeat _must_ catch your enemy unawares and put them off balance. Do you know how I connected to you just now? Think about it for just a moment."

I thought hard about all five senses. I didn't think it was visual, unless she had used the baby bottle somehow. The answer came to me quicker than I realized. Kurenai hadn't had any of what she served, just like someone trying to poison the other, but in this case . . .

"The tea," I said. "You used taste."

Kurenai gave me her little approving nod that I've grown accustomed to.

"It was a rare opportunity to connect that way, yes," she said.

She stood and placed the baby in the bassinet, and the child immediately began to cry. Though she was full, I imagined the poor thing was more comfortable in her mother's arms.

"Now," said the proud mother. "You're going to practice connecting, on Kimiko here. See if you can use a little genjustu to lull her to sleep."

"Sensei!" I protested in shock. "I . . .she's just a baby."

"And?" Kurenai asked as if I should have some bigger point.

"B-But . . . she's your baby, and I've never . . ."

My teacher sighed as if I she was annoyed with me, when I felt she should have been thankful I was looking out for her child.

"Sakura, the mind of an infant is pure and the memories are small. They are easiest to connect with, and you will become familiar with the process while at the same time be welcomed into a purely uncorrupted mind."

"But, your own . . ."

"And ," Kurenai said, "I trust you, Sakura."

Of course she trusted me. I had always felt that trust, and it was mutual. But to trust me with her child, her world, Asuma's legacy and the legacy of the Third Hokage, the level of it all was overwhelming to me, but simple to Kurenai. I almost teared up, but Kurenai set me right to business.

"Start with touch," she said before I could get too emotional on her. "Make dragon, lion, tree, and river signs, and then apply light touch with both hands to the sides of her head. It's a simple method. On the next attempt, try infusing some of the tools here with your chakra. Eventually, you should be able to connect without signs. Just practice connecting and disconnecting for abut five or six times, then on the seventh, try and lull her to sleep. I'll be watching, but it's only to 

help you choose your primary connection. After she's asleep we should have company soon, and we'll move right into the next phase of your training today."

It took me the better part of the morning to make seven connections, and another half hour to actually get Kimiko to fall asleep. Making a connection as easy enough, but making a connection too forcefully and not having the young child reject me was much harder than I thought it would be. I had no idea how to play a flute or a harmonica, but I could ring a bell. But it reminded me of that girl Shikamaru fought in the Chunin exams all those years ago, and I jest felt uncomfortable with it.

The satchel bag was full of fragrances. Some were foul, and some made my airways tingle with giddiness. It was those that I connected with the easiest, and it was with the mixed floral scent that I finally helped a squirming and whining baby into her afternoon nap. It was easy, once I thought about it. All I had to do was leave her with the impression of being in her mother's arms and then cycle the chakra. This allowed the illusion to continue even after I broke the connection. When she woke up, the illusion would fade.

I wasn't surprised when Kurenai handed me the satchel bag.

"I suspected ad much before we began, but I had to be sure." Kurenai told me.

"Suspected what, sensei?" I asked.

"You connect best with scent. It's in your nature. It must be all that time in the flower shop with Ino, I suppose."

I wiped sweat from my forehead. It was getting warmer outside.

Kurenai turned and looked over her shoulder at nothing in particular.

"Ah! Good timing Sakura." My teacher said. "They're here."

"Uh, who's here?"

"You're training partners, of course."

Three whooshes and three light crunches on the ground announced their arrival. When I saw them, I wasn't sure if I should laugh or pout. Of all the training partners, of all the Genin that I could have started with, it had to be them. A Kid with scraggly hair and round glasses sniffled at me. A girl with bright orange hair and too much makeup on her rosy cheeks beamed at me. And a dark-haired boy with a grin even wider than Naruto's leered at me.

It was Konohamaru and his two teammates, Udon and Moegi.

"Oh, great." I said with minimal enthusiasm.

"Heya, Sakura-chan!" Konohamaru bellowed. "Woah, looken sexy in the new threads! Hey, hey, you think Boss Naruto would like to see how well they come o-"

Konohamaru got a lump on his head before he could finish his sentence. I hope he learned his lesson.

"Let's begin please," Kurenai said with a small laugh. "Konohamaru, be sure to thank Ebisu-sensei again for letting you help us out today.

"Sakura," Kurenai began explaining. "Team Ebisu here will one at a time try and get past you to the end of the training ground half a mile away. They may use any methods necessary, but you may only use your new techniques. I'm starting you off with the Genin we had available, but eventually you'll move on to dealing with more than one opponent at a time, and finally onto more experienced opponents. Complete enough of these training rounds successfully, and we'll move on to the final phase of your training."

I bowed. I noticed Kurenai had not mentioned I would be using genjustu. This way, my targets would not know what to expect, at least the first time. I vowed that none would get by me. I didn't have the time to lose.


	8. Chapter 8

Well - two days late. If you have been expecting me to keep my weekly scheduale. Not bad, but I think I'm going to be behind from here on out.

This chapter was supposed to include the final test that Sakura talks about at the begining, but it just ran a little long on me. Oh well, I think there is enough action to keep you all occupied until the main event. As always, thanks for your comments and support.

* * *

She has medical ninjutsu plus amazing strength, but that's not all

_She has medical ninjutsu plus amazing strength, but that's not all. Sakura was originally a genjustu type. She may become an even better ninja than the Fifth._

_-The Teaching Journal of Hatake Kakashi, 16 August 110__th__ Year of the Leaf _

_From the Training Journal of Haruno Sakura, 29 April 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

Training ground three is four and a half kilometers long by two kilometers wide. All seven training grounds are this size, and they extend from the edge of Konoha to Deer Creek. Beyond this is the forest over which the Nara Clan still reign. Beyond that lies the wild of the Fire Country. In short, it always seemed like a pretty big area to train in. Yet I quickly came to realize last week just how small an area it was when traveling at top ninja speed while trying to stop even one person from making it across Deer Creek with just genjustu.

Tomorrow is a critical day for my training. Kurenai –sensei tells me it will be a sort of exam. Depending on how I do she may decide that I am ready to train with her in genjustu vs. genjustu training. Assuming I pass tomorrow's trial, training with her in this way would mean I had made it to the final phase of my apprenticeship under her. As exciting as that is, I have my doubts about whether or not I am truly ready for the next level. It all seems to be happening so fast, and I have only recently had what I feel is true success against difficult opponents.

In fact, I faced many opponents with different rules of engagement in an intense week of training, but my victories were few. I found myself getting discouraged very easily, especially in being bested by Genin like Konohamaru. My thoughts wander quite a bit in my descriptions of those training fights, so before I face tomorrow's challenge, I am going to reorganize and summarize them here.

These are arranged from failures to successes, and not the actual timeline of events. I began against Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi, individually. Kurenai allowed that if I was able to stop one of them, I didn't have to face them again. Otherwise, I got three tries. Once that was done, I fought them all together.

Next I was challenged by Hanabi, a Genin from the Hyuuga clan and Hinata's sister. I had to face her until I was victorious. By the fifth attempt, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find a way to defeat her.

When I was finally able to stop her, I moved on to challenges from two members of my own rank and class, and the process repeated. Ten-Ten and then Lee. I was glad Neji is a Jonin, because if he had still bin a Chuunin I am sure I would have had to face him too. I certainly didn't mind the break from the Byakugan. Hinabi had given me enough trouble as it was. Naturally, I also had to fight Lee and Ten Ten together. Kurenai sensei made me fight them twice. That was a long day. Last and most recently I had to challenge a Jonin.

It was a surprise challenge from a ninja of the Sand, our old friend and ally Temari. She couldn't even really say what she was doing in Konoha, as the Chunin exams were still a month a way, but I gathered it had something to do with the Nara Clan's deployment. She only had time for one try. Kurenai-sensei called it a draw, but I wasn't quite satisfied.

There is no telling what I will face tomorrow. I can only hope I have truly learned anything from the following:

Konohamaru – Failure 

The little punk didn't try to evade or even keep a low profile. He came looking for me instead of heading for the goal. I thought he would be easy prey.

I hid myself well and planned an ambush with an exploding honey-dew scented satchel. The satchels are small, can be tied to a Kunai, and set off with a tiny explosive note. It's the most direct way to deliver scent and can easily go unnoticed by the enemy if thrown on target, as the explosion only makes a small nearly soundless, 'pop'. A target walking through the forest stands a high chance of mistaking it for the snap of a twig underfoot.

I suddenly faced five Konohamarus as he made four Kage-bunshin and spread out to look for me. It took me too long to recognize the real one, and one of his clones found me before I could act. The clone made a show of alerting the other Konohamarus while it tried to come at me with taijustu attacks. It was like fighting an idiot Naruto again, which wasn't so bad, as it was a little nostalgic.

The rules of the engagement were that I use genjustu only. Therefore, all I could do was dodge and retreat, and try to find an opening with which to spray him with a small floral aerosol in my palm. I thought I had found that opening, until Konohamaru pulled _that_ technique.

Suddenly I was being assaulted by a nude Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, and even Kakashi. I wasn't being assaulted by punches and kicks either, but by seduction and . . .I'm going to leave it at that. It wasn't fair. The real Konohamaru sneaked by easily after that, and I never even achieved a connection.

Udon – Failure X 3

This kid couldn't smell a damn thing! I realized this much too late. He just waltzed right through my traps that I had set up and ran right by me. I chased after him spraying him with everything I had, but he just smiled and waved lazily, then blew his nose on a hankie as he crossed the creek. I was so frustrated I think there is a new crater by the creek that might be perfect for a fish pond.

I learned right then that I needed to become better at a secondary connection method. I just had no idea what to choose yet. He escaped all three times before Kurenai–sensei finally helped me choose.

After returning to her in shame after failing against the allergy machine for the third time, she smiled at me.

"So what has this boy taught you?" Kurenai asked.

"That I need to use other means of connecting at times, but what . . ."

My teacher was staring at me. Rather, she was staring at my ear to be precise.

"That gold earring," she said thoughtfully. "Yes, I think it may just catch the light well enough. May I see it?"

I hesitated. I didn't want to take off the earring Ino had given me, but I remembered the trust Kurenai had shown in me earlier, so I slowly removed it from my ear and handed the shiny metal trinket over. She examined it between her thumb and forefinger.

"Simple yet elegant," my teacher called the small earring. "Does it have any sentimental value to you at all?"

"Y-yes," I admitted.

"Perfect," she said. "Let me show you how to prep it for sight connection."

After etching a series of very small sigils into the side of the earring with a special process that can not be described here, the earring was ready. It took the whole afternoon to make. Learning to use it will take much longer.

Moegi - Failure

This was my first successful connection to an active target. It was an easy throw with a scent charge, but I found the distance and angle tricky. I almost had her. Night descended quickly in her mind, and she found herself in her bedroom, I made it seem as if she had just awakened from a dream, but I assumed she would dress herself appropriately and remove her makeup. She began to feel as if something was out of place. The connection was too light, and she broke free with an easy release of chakra. I suppose the vision was too complex to start with. She was faster than me, which was a surprise, and once I lost her she was gone.

Konohamaru – Failure 

I set several traps against Konohamaru on my second attempt against him. I really had no desire to let him get close to me again, not even with a shadow clone. They included trip wires that would set of scent bombs, and I decided to use foul smelling types this time. I prefer the smell of my namesake blossom, but I was in the mood for payback. But the teammates had talked to each other now, and Konohamaru understood what I was trying to do. He had clothespins ready.

I still connected, as it doesn't take much scent to leak through to forge one, and I attempted to borrow from Kurenai-sensei's book and have him be swallowed up by the ground as my Sakura blossoms swirled around him. The genjustu failed when scent was thrown back at me. Konohamaru fainted from his trance, but he fell on another of my traps. I had set up too many. It was like being sprayed by a skunk, and by the time I recovered; Konohamaru had awoken and was gone. I decided I hate stinky scents.

Moegi – Failure X2

This little shrimp is fast. I'm not sure how fast she would be on the attack, but trying to track her down in a pursuit would be rough. She's also witty, and she had already figured out my limitations by our second fight. I had a feeling she had already explained it to her other teammates. I think she just held her breath as she flew right past me. Try as I might, I was chasing her the whole time. I never got a connection the next two times I faced her. I realized I was going to have to be more cleaver than just setting up traps and spraying people with scents, especially when they knew what they were up against.

Konohamaru – Moegi – Udon – Failure

The rules of engagement change when facing all three opponents. The Genin were once again not briefed on what I would be doing to try to stop them, and it worked to my advantage that they didn't realize I would be using all of my abilities to stop them. My only restriction was that at least one of them had to be stopped with genjustu alone. I finally stopped Moegi with a simple snare trap. She was getting cocky, and she had outrun her other two teammates by at least three seconds. It was good to bring her down a notch as she hung helplessly by the leg from a tree. From there the connection was easy, and I put her to sleep with a simple hypnotic vision of sakura petals and a pleasing scent. I worked quickly enough that she did not alert her other two comrades - who were approaching fast.

I tried to connect to two minds at once for the first time when they saw their teammate and tried to free her. Once again the small explosive scent satchel had no effect on Udun, though I connected to Konohamaru quite easily. The soft petals of my anchor swirled around him in his minds eye as he tried to figure out what had just happened to him. I had not begun any illusions yet when Udon noticed his teammate begin to zone out. As Udon tried to shake Konohamaru out of it I leapt down directly in front of Udon. Startled, he leapt back and drew a Kunai. A toss of my head threw my hair back over my left shoulder and revealed my earring. With his eyes drawn to the motion, I connected with Udon at last.

Everything was going so well, but it was much more difficult than I thought to try and get them both to see the same illusion. I looked for something in common within both their minds, and the first thing I came to was a mutual concern for their teammate – and a certain admiration. In their minds eye Moegi cut herself down with a kunai, and then defeated me with a flying kick to the head. They thought they had won and were on their way to their goal, when Moegi did something unexpected. I had my image of her kiss Udon, and though he quickly fainted.

However, Konohamaru's mind refused to accept what he was seeing. Perhaps I had only read the stronger of the two feelings, but in that moment I learned two very important lessons. Love can be a powerful weapon, but never use it between allies. In the end, Konohamaru escaped as I could only hold my connection with Udon. He kept me busy with a clone while the real him made it across the Creek. It was a very amateur mistake for me not to notice, and I am still kicking myself about it. Kurenai had told them their objective included just getting one member of their team across.

Hanabi – Failure X 4

Hinata's little sister sure is turning into a pretty girl. Long raven hair and those same pearl colored eyes could make her a real heartbreaker in the near future. I know what I told Hinata back then, but if she really took me seriously, she might have her own sister for competition. I like her a lot too. She was quite polite while frustrating my efforts at every turn.

Against the Byakugan, traps were useless and so was any attempt to ambush by simple physical camouflage. I failed three times to intercept her at all as she navigated by me easily. On the third try I didn't even see or hear her at all.

I headed straight for her on the fourth attempt. The goal was to not let her into the trees of the training ground at all, for once she reached the tree line it seemed like she was always staying a step ahead of me. Using my earring, I finally achieved a visual connection, but it was nearly too far out to be effective at all. The connection was very odd in that she could see me but I could not see her. I had to learn to navigate myself toward her while keeping a connection several hundred meters distant. She must have only felt it as a small trickle in the back of her mind, with only a few stray Sakura blossoms passing by.

As I got closer my anchor grew stronger, and I could finally achieve an illusion. But I was too slow. By the time I brought myself within range, she had figured out was going on, and she attacked me directly.

The gentile fist isn't very gentile – at least not when you are on the receiving end. And Hanabi adds her own special flavor to it, instead of using open palm or finger point attacks, she attacks with hooked hands that tear and rend skin as well as leave bruises. There would be no retreating from her, either – not with eyes like that. She left me unconscious after one vicious rapid succession of attacks. I was done for the day.

Ten Ten – Failure

Ten Ten is far too good at traps to be caught in any of my rudimentary ones, so I found I had to use the direct approach. It became a game of cat and mouse. She stuck to the forest floor instead of trying to leap through trees, which meant that to cut her off from the goal I had to come down to her level. Every time I did so though she would somehow sense it, and retreat. I thought perhaps she was trying to avoid a confrontation with my strength.

Her battle philosophy caused me difficulties too. Ten Ten has a certain respect for weapons, and she treated all of my thrown kunai daggers as if they had high explosive notes on them, even though she seemed baffled by the small explosions. Also, I could never seem to land one upwind of her. Frustrated, I tried to get closer to her as she retreated from me again.

That's when I fell into her trap. A pit of loose ground fell away, and though I leapt to safety, two steal mesh nets were spring fired at me from either side. Caught in a tangle in mid-air, I fell back into the hole. She waved at me politely as she leapt through the trees toward the goal, and all I could do was stare in vain at the back of her white kimono as she faded into the distance.

Ten Ten and Rock Lee – Mulligan?

Once again I was finally able to use any ability at my disposal. It felt good to crush the earth again and send the targets of my wrath running for cover. I chose Lee has a target for genjustu, since I had had a successful encounter against him already. The drawback was I was facing two very experienced teammates. I still am wearing bruises and mending newly discovered micro fractures from this contest.

It started off well enough, but then again so has every training event so far. The key to the ninja arts is not to be seen when you attack, but that goes double when going against a taijustu specialist and a weapons specialist at the same time. Because Ten Ten stuck close to Lee, I was able to connect with scent in the usual method with an explosive satchel. I had them both in a nice trance and my anchor was set with sakura blossoms swirling around them. All I had to do was finish them off with an illusion both their minds would accept. Then I made an unforeseen mistake; I chose a sleep inducing illusion.

Trying to create an illusion to put them to sleep acted on their brains in a similar fashion to alcohol. I remember Naruto warning me never to let the man he calls "Fuzzy-brows" have any alcohol, but it didn't occur to me that a sleep inducing genjustu would act as a similar depressant. Lee's mind became suddenly very erratic, and his chakra spiked at an unbelievable rate. It shook both him and Ten Ten free of my connection. My sakura petals danced away randomly and faded away. I tried to form a new connection, but it was too late. Lee had me in his sites.

He growled something about "nightmares" and called me a "she-devil." His attack was furious and fast, and it was all I could do to absorb the blows with chakra-enhanced blocks without getting killed. Ten Ten did not try to help him. In fact, she was doing her best to stay out of his way as tree after tree was mowed down.

Suddenly he stopped, lay down on the ground, and was apparently asleep. I took a step towards him, but a panicked looking Ten Ten was peaking out from behind a fallen log. She was desperately trying to warn me away by waving her hands furiously and mouthing the word, "hide."

I blinked and Lee was no longer snoozing on the forest floor. I heard a hiccup and a wheezy voice say, "Hey pretty lady, wanna dance?"

I punched. I kicked, I blocked. I quickly realized my strikes needed to be full force to be effective. He simply slapped my hands away lazily, and the chakra explosions that resulted ripped leaves from trees and sent loose debris - and Ten Ten - flying away through the forest. I couldn't believe it. It was like punching steal half the time and half the time I hit nothing at all.

At one point he bent over backwards at the spine like he was made of rubber, and I stumbled forward with the momentum of my counterattack.

"Heeeeeeeeeey, " Lee said with a hiccup as he stared at the sky. "You stepped on my foot. You need dancing lessons."

My vision flashed white as Lee's knee connected with my temple.

I awoke to find Kurenai kneeling over me with Ten Ten tending to a snoozing Lee. She told me that she would consider the fight a mulligan, as she herself had never seen anything like that happen before, but warned me to be careful what type of illusion you used on opponents- as if I needed reminding.

Konohamaru – Success

The first success after having so many failures was very sweet, but it was made even sweeter in that I finally caught the little pervert. I intercepted him by igniting an aerosol charge with a remote as he leapt through the trees. The aerosol is designed to send a pressurized gas into the face of the opponent, and even if someone is holding their breath or pinching off their nose, they will still get trace amounts of the scent. It was a different connection method than the kunai charge he had seen our first two contests, and it worked.

The two clones that Konohamaru had with him dispersed, and I felt safe enough to move in closer as the image of my anchor began floating lazily around him in his minds eye. I kept the illusion simple and irresistible to a young pervert such as himself. It felt good to get him back for what he had done to me earlier. Putting him in a hot spring with Tsunade and Kurenai-sensei did the trick. Just when he felt comfortable enough to try to touch them, I had Tsunade-sama act the way she _really _would if she caught Konohamaru trying something like that with her, and the young Genin was soon begging to be unconscious.

Hanabi – Success

The young Hyuuga taught me a lot about my distance limits with my genjustsu. Too far and she would just shake me off - too close and I knew I couldn't match her gentile fist with my explosive ones. The answer was to move to a tertiary connection method. One that I was less proficient at but knew I would need to learn how to use regardless. Sound.

I had with me the small bell on a string. I wouldn't be surprised it was one of the very same bells Kakashi used in his test after all. I closed to within thirty meters of Hinabi on an intercept course. I rang the bell as she readied herself for the attack. At the first hint of a connection, I hung the bell from a tree limb and hopped to the ground. She knew what was happening to her of course, and I felt her mind struggle against mine. The bell kept ringing on periodically on the wind, and this kept the connection strong.

At last, placing her in an illusion of a dim forest glade with a downy soft bed of sakura petals lulled her stubborn mind to sleep.

Rock Lee - Success

He was as obnoxious as ever. He demanded that we not play games and in the name of the power of youth or some such nonsense that we face each other head to head rather than play silly games. I was all for it, as of course Lee didn't realize that I was only allowed to use genjustu against him. I leapt down from my place of concealment and a standoff began.

He winked at me. It was the first time in a long time that I had felt violated by a gesture. Still, I know he means well. He leapt at me in and covered a huge amount of distance that I was nearly caught off guard, but a flick of my wrist brushed back my hair and I had a connection with time to spare.

Lee didn't know it, but the "contest of youth" was already over.

Still, he fought on in his peculiar style. He was surprised for sure when he found that I was faster than him. He expected I would be stronger, but I could read his surprise easily as I simply caught his leg during a Konoha Senpu attack and threw him roughly into a tree. He took the weights off his legs while talking about getting serious, and I adjusted his physical speed to the appropriate level to match what his brain expected. I even let him kick me around a bit in his minds eye, just to let the hook sink in a little deeper.

Just when he thought he'd won, and he saw me bleeding and battered, a swirl of Sakura blossoms surrounded us both with their full intensity. I had to make it believable, and in the end, his mind accepted that I was indeed strong enough to rip a chunk out of the ground to shield myself with, and then counter with a tremendous punch. He fell unconscious, and victory was mine.

Ten Ten and Rock Lee – Success

I tried my best again to pick up where I'd left off from the last encounter with Lee and Ten Ten, and this time _not_ nearly get myself killed. However, they approached their target destination with a different strategy this time, and the connection process did not go quite as easily.

Ten Ten kept her distance from Lee this time and acted as point. They were using short range radios for coordination. Connecting with them both at once was next to impossible, so I decided to attempt to stop Ten Ten by physical means. I threw a dummy kunai with a dummy satchel attached, and she reacted as predicted, and she landed just as I punched the ground and created a sinkhole for her to fall into. I skidded to a stop the instant I realized it was just a log sitting in the crevice, and back flipped out of the way of a rain of at least sixteen kunai . . . and nearly got my head taken off by Lee.

Ducking and rolling away, I broke a fallen tree in half and used the lower end like a giant baseball bat to swing at both of my opponents. Ten Ten shattered it with three exploding notes. I used the explosion to cover my escape back into the treetops. Once I was concealed from view again, it was time for plan B.

I'm not quite that proficient yet at attacking with medical techniques. I'm not accurate enough with acupuncture needles yet, I can't rewire a whole nervous system like the Hokage, and I've only just begun to read about storing chakra for instant regeneration. Yet, I have perfected one technique fairly well, it just seemed silly to me to use in a fight. But now that I have seen it work I think I may use it more often in close range situations.

Palming a vile of small white powder in my gloved hand, I re-engaged the closest target from the trees with a leap. The catch with the powder is that it requires me to dump it down either the front or the back of a clothed individual, because it needs contact with the skin closest to the spine to work. Lee happened to be closest, but that dorky green jumpsuit of his was going to make things difficult. I cartwheeled away from him towards Ten Ten, and Lee did not pursue for his fear of me catching them both in a genjutsu.

Ten Ten's loose white Kimono made a much better target. I punched at her, and she dodged easily, but a small squeeze of my hand broke the vile, and the powder slipped down the back of her neck easily as she spun away. All I had to do was complete the proper hand signs to activate the chakra inside the powder from within at least a meter away from her, and Ten Ten was done.

She crumpled to the ground in a heap, laughing hysterically as every single one of her tickle centers activated at once. Ten Ten snorts when she laughs too hard. It was so cute I almost forgot to deal with Lee. Another flash of reflected light and another knockout genjustsu later, I had defeated the Chuunin of team Gai.

Temari – Draw

She said she was here on an errand for the Kazekage, and that's all she would say. She was more interested in my training, and said she wanted to help me with it in any way possible. Temari had sought me ought when she learned I was in the village, and to her, this was a small way to repay me for saving her brother. After our battle, I decided Temari had a funny way of showing appreciation.

Since I was now up against a Jonin I was allowed any and all techniques as a set up, but I had to use genjustsu to make the capture. Kurenai sensei explained that the target would be considered too damaged for interrogation, and my mission would fail if I knocked her out or restrained her by any other means.

Temari recognized what she was up against immediately. If she sensed a trap at all, she would precede her movement with a burst of wind from her giant fan. This cut through most if not all of my traps. She was quickly aware of any scent connection from a distance of greater than twenty five meters and would break it instantly with a burst of chakra. Her mental will was extremely strong, and I was beginning to feel discouraged.

The Kazekage's sister was three quarters of the way through the training ground when I tried knocking a tree into her path before attacking her directly. I found myself lifted back into the sky by a huge gust of wind. The wind began to shred my clothes and slice into skin on my shoulders and abdomen. A quick replacement jutsu was my only escape.

When the smoke cleared I found myself behind her. I caused a ground quake in her direction in an attempt to throw her off balance long enough to spray her with a geranium scented aerosol. I held back as she dug her huge fan into the ground to support herself and use as a shield. She released her fan and leapt into the air as I charged her. She flicked her wrists, and two normal sized fans appeared, one in each hand. I could tell from the way they gleamed in the sunlight that although the small red and black fans had an attractive design, they were deadly sharp at the edges.

With her big fan shielding my advance, Temari now had the initiative as she descended upon me. She crossed her arms, and then flung them wide, the result being a deadly scythe of wind. I spun away just in time, but I caught sight of a few strands of my hair floating on the wind.

She landed in front of her enormous fan and spun towards me like a top. Her small fans sliced and criss-crossed at me over and over as she drove me back. She tore into my flak jacket, cut my thigh, and relieved me of a few more strands of hair. At last I managed to catch both her wrists mid spin, and from there it became a grappling match.

"Do you always train with such deadly force in your village?" I asked her with a grunt.

"Only with the ones we trust to stay alive," Temari growled through clinched teeth in return. "You think Gaara was easy on me?"

"No . . .I suppose not," I admitted.

I tilted my head, and I had a visual connection. In Temari's mind, I faded away. I searched her mind for something pleasant, something that would relax her. I morphed into the visage and form of Shikamaru, holding her tightly. Temari did relax. She even blushed. I thought I'd won, but after a few seconds a scowl came over her face, and she punched through the illusion and would have gutted me with her fan had I not leapt back.

"Is that the best illusion you have?" Temari declared in a cocky voice. "Please. Genjutsu is supposed to be ruthless. What are you doing with playing around with flowers and romance?"

I was insulted, but for some reason not angry. My response was to try the visual connection again.

"Too slow!" Temari cried as she hurled a fan at me like some strangely shaped shirruken.

I dodged, but not in time to avoid a gash along my shoulder.

"You won't catch me that way again."

I attacked again with an aerosol spray, but Temari just blew the scent away from her with her remaining small fan. I decided to take a risk. I needed a new object embedded with chakra. Something Temari wouldn't expect. I somersaulted over her head, and her eyes widened as she realized what I was after. I pulled her fan from the ground as I marked it with blood from my fresh cut in the manner I had seen Kurenai mark my earring.

A fan that size sure does draw attention. She chased me down in a fury, but found herself trapped in my illusion before she even got three feet from me. If the fan had been infused with my own chakra, I would have won, but it was infused with Temari's. The result was that when Gaara appeared in my illusion, the Sakura blossoms that accompanied him turned to sand. I had no control over the vision, and Temari and I each found ourselves trapped in a sand coffin by a heartless Gaara – the Gaara of old that we both feared. The sand was crushing me, I could feel my bones breaking in my own illusion, and I could do nothing but call for help.

Kurenai-sensei saved us both. The illusion was suddenly snapped as I felt he chakra flowing through my mind. She had a hand on each of us. She told us to sit down and take it easy for a minute. I thought I was about to get a lecture, but none came. Kurenai was more concerned about making sure we were both alright. My teacher called the battle a draw, because if it weren't for her, we could both be dead.

"Idiot," Temari found the courage to call me at last after she stopped shaking. "When I said be more ruthless, I didn't mean almost kill us both."

"Right," I said with a small nervous laugh.

I learned a lot from that fight with Temari. I experienced the dangers of genjustsu first hand, and I learned to never ever use a connection tool with any chakra except my own. Most importantly, Temari was right about one thing. I was going to have to be prepared to be more ruthless when the time came. I am certainly prepared to be ruthless tomorrow. I may even be ready to be ruthless with Sasuke, if it meant I could bring him home.


	9. Chapter 9

_The Uchiha can not be trusted. The truth is they brought that calamity upon us seven years ago, and now we have proof that they plan to usurp control of Konoha for themselves. An untamed evil runs in their blood. None is innocent. Not even you. Let none live, then take your own life in apparent insanity, or we will face that demon again, and war will spread across the land once more._

_Danzo to Itachi Uchiha 93__rd__ Year of the Leaf_

_Working Document for Research: Haruno, Sakura Date: 30 April 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

_Classification: Secret _

When I arrived at training ground three this morning Kurenai-sensei was waiting as usual, but there was no sign of my opponent. Confused, I started to ask if he or she was late, but then I saw my teacher's eyes flicker, and I knew instantly that I was being put into a genjustu. Saplings began to sprout around me, one at a time.

"Sensei," I began. "What . . ."

"Do not struggle Sakura. This is just for communication purposes. Do as I tell you and someone will be by to collect you after sundown. Make no movement or sound to indicate you were just under a genjustu. Understand?"

I nodded. Once again, I understood, but I wasn't understanding _why._

The genjustu ended. I blinked, but acted like nothing had happened.

"Your final battle has been postponed, Sakura." Kurenai said out loud. "Meditate here until I come back for you. Consider all your past battles this time."

"More meditation, sensei?" I whined. When Kurenai asked me to do exactly as she said, I hadn't counted on more meditation.

Kurenai's eyes narrowed slightly, but in a sweet voice she said. "You can't ever get enough of it, Sakura. See you later."

I did as I was told, but I don't think I really got much out of it. I reflected for a long time at the Konoha memorial. And I did notice that there wasn't a single Uchiha name on it. The pointed blue-grey stone seemed to be trying to tell me something. It was as if the haunted souls of those lost in battles past had the answer to all my troubles, but I couldn't understand them and they were frustrated. Before I knew it, it was night - and it was beginning to rain. That's when she appeared.

A woman in a tan trench coat that covered tight fitting kunoichi mesh for a top and leather combat pants landed behind me with barely a sound. I had not seen this woman in . . . over a year. The fact struck me as odd. Had that much time gone by already?

She grinned so broadly at me as lighting flashed behind her that she looked almost demonic and scary.

"Alright princess pink," Anko-sensei said. "Follow me, and don't fall behind."

"A-anko-sensei? What . . . "

Her broad grin vanished, becoming a scowl with glaring eyes.

"Don't speak. Quickly now, there's no time!"

All I could do was wonder what exactly there was no time for as she set off through the trees at a break-neck pace. I almost couldn't keep up with her, and she kept giving me glares over her shoulder as we crossed Deer Creek into the Nara clan territory. It began to rain as we leapt through the trees, and the storm picked up in intensity. I found myself wishing I had thought to bring a poncho with me. It wasn't long before I was completely soaked in a torrential downpour.

My eyes widened as we slowed and Anko leapt to the ground at her chosen destination. I began to state the obvious for the eccentric teacher.

"This is . . ."

"Yes," Anko said as she opened the front door to a large estate of polished red wood. Inside. Quickly!"

It was the Nara Clan estate. I found myself in a common area with two stairways. The stairways lead up to hallways that led off in opposite directions. The large sitting room was full of comfortable looking furniture and all the trimmings of a hunting lodge. These included a large moose head on the wall opposite me, and several stuffed birds of prey. There didn't seem to be anyone home.

Anko had closed the door behind me and remained outside. There was no sound except the howling wind and the rushing sound of a heavy rain outside.

"Hello?" I called. "Is anyone here?"

At least it was warm inside. I wanted to sit down, but I was afraid to get anything wet. After several moments, I heard footsteps. A pair of large doors to my right swung open, and there stood four individuals. They were wearing hooded white Konoha issue ninja ponchos. I couldn't tell who they were in the low candlelight of the room, and I began to feel uneasy. The lead figure pulled out a kunai. It was a strange looking weapon, with three prongs and a white handle. As soon as I saw the weapon I drew one of my own.

"Easy, Sakura," a very familiar voice said.

It was the voice of someone who was supposed to be very far away. The voice of a man I had not seen in what seemed like far too long.

"Shikamaru!" I gasped. "I thought you were . . ."

Shikamaru turned a dial on the wall near him and a fire lit itself in a stone hearth that dominated the room.

"Hurry and take a seat by the fire, Sakura," Shikamaru said. "I'll explain everything."

The other three ninja came further into the light of the fire and threw back their own hoods. It was Shino and to my surprise, both Kakashi and Kurenai-sensei.

I just stood there, blinking for a moment.

"Yo, Sakura." Kakashi-sensei greeted me with a little wave.

Shikamaru looked a little annoyed.

"Geez, if you just stand there dripping like that you'll catch a cold for sure. Hurry up and come in. We've gone through a lot of trouble for you, you know."

He threw me a small towel, which accepted and began to dry my hair with. I removed my boots and my flak jacket and set them aside by the doorway before making my way over to one of the two leather upholstered couches by the hearth.

Kurenai looked at Shino as I made myself at home. "Is she clear?"

I squealed in alarm as a tiny insect leapt from my rain-dampened hair.

"She has no recording devices or listening type jutsu on her," Shino confirmed.

The fact that he was still wearing sunglasses in the middle of a rainstorm was just creepy to me.

"And the perimeter is secure?" Kakashi asked.

Shino turned toward him.

"The bogotai flies I have dispersed will let us know if anyone approaches, we are secure."

"What's going on?" I asked. "Where'd Anko-sensei go?"

"To impersonate you for a while," Kakashi said.

"M-me?" I asked. "But why?"

"Because ever since Naruto left you've been under constant surveillance, Sakura-san," Shikamaru explained. He came over and sat in a chair across from me, and groaned like an old ma who'd been on his feet all day.

That annoyed me. I should have noticed something like that by now. And for what purpose was it?

"Who ordered that?" I asked in a dangerous tone.

"Hokage-sama of course," Shikamaru said.

Now I was hurt. My own master? Why? I shook my head in bewilderment.

"I don't understand," I told them all.

"Tsunade-sama is playing a dangerous political game right now, Sakura," Kakashi sensei said as he came over to sit as well. "She had you watched in order to appease member of Danzo's camp, but the compromise was that it would be members of root watching you."

"But why does anyone think I need to be watched?" I asked.

"We're all being watched, Sakura." Kurenai said, joining in. "And we are constantly watching Root too. Everyone smiles politely but no one trusts each other anymore. Such is the state of the village."

"But Danzo has a particular interest in you," Shikamaru added. "Because of your closeness to Naruto."

It was starting to make a little bit of sense now. I should have guessed. Everything always came back to Naruto after all. So Danzo didn't trust me. So be it. I wasn't going to let that stop 

me from completing my training. In that moment I remembered what I was supposed to be doing today.

"So, I won't be training today then?" I asked.

"Oh, you'll be training all right," Kurenai said. "We just have business first. Shikamaru, please continue."

"The reason I'm still in Konoha is that I never left with the rest of my clan," Shikamaru said. "You're aware that the entire Nara clan was deployed recently, correct?"

I nodded. "Yes, but I didn't have the clearance to know why."

"That was to protect you. If you knew, the council would have considered you a security risk."

"This stinks of Danzo again," I said.

"Exactly," Shikamaru said. "My clan was called in by Suna to hold off an advance on their northern border in the hopes that negotiations could take place. We are the clan most capable of slowing the advance of an army without using lethal force."

"An army, advancing on the Wind country?" I was shocked. How had something this big been kept secret.

"Yes," said Kakashi. They are Rain Country regulars supported by ninja from the Hidden Rain. They blame the Wind country for economic sanctions and accuse the Wind of siphoning off water without paying for this resource.

"Negotiations are happening in secret so that the Hidden Sand saves face," Shikamaru said as if he somehow reached into my mind and plucked one of the questions swirling there out. "But my clan's mass shadow bind jutsu will last only around three days with twenty four people holding over five hundred in place."

"Five hundred!" I exclaimed. "How do they even hold that many for three minutes?"

Shikamaru smirked with pride. "A very disciplined rotation of members and chakra. Plus a great many soldier pills. It's pretty impressive, but it can't be kept up indefinitely."

My mind was reeling as I tried to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. It was a lot to deal with all at once, but I thought of another piece.

"But . . . didn't the man that Jiraiya-sama sent back from the Hidden Rain for interrogation say that that village was recovering from a civil war?"

"That is true," Kakashi-sensei said. "But Ibiki found out more. The Hidden Rain's leader, who we know to also be the Akatsuki leader, had planned this invasion for several months. Pein has the Hidden Rain convinced that war is the only way to end their troubles. Thus, the Hokage and the Kazekage both expect the negotiations to fail."

"And Danzo," Shikamaru added, "is demanding that Konoha deploy in full force immediately. The Hokage is doing her best to delay that as long as possible."

"And not just to stop a war," Shino said, breaking his usual silence.

"But to keep from leaving Konoha vulnerable," I said in realization. "Does she expect an attack from the inside?"

My two teachers looked at each other pointedly.

"You're as sharp as ever, Sakura" Kaskashi-sensei said with a smile I could see form even through his mask.

Shikamaru pulled open a skinny drawer on the side of the coffee table that was centered between the couches, and pulled out a fine wooden Shogi board. He began to set up the pieces.

"Ever play Shogi, Sakura?" Shikamaru asked.

"Uh . . . this doesn't really seem like the time," I said.

"I'm just trying to illustrate a point." Shikamaru said as he began to set up the game pieces not at their starting locations, but as if it was already in the middle of a game.

"Right now this player here has left his king open. His pieces are extended and spread out too far, see? All you would have to do from your side is make one or two moves to win. Would you be confident of your victory at this point?"

"I suppose so," I said. "Are you saying the player that is vulnerable right now is Konoha?"

"Yes," Shikamaru said. "Go ahead and win the game for your side if you can."

I attacked immediately by moving my knight into position. In one move, Shikamaru responded by taking that piece and threatening my own king.

"You moved too early," Shiakamru said. "Which is exactly what I wanted. You still needed one more move before you went for the win."

"I'm not sure I follow you," I admitted to the Nara clan heir.

"Though we are vulnerable right now," Shikamaru said. "If we can lull Danzo into acting too early on whatever his plan may be, we stand a much better chance of thwarting it."

"I see," I said. "So how do we get him to move too soon?"

"It begins here," Shikamaru said, and he handed me the Kunai that he had taken out when he arrived. Until now he'd been holding it in his left hand as if he were afraid to put it away or let it out of his sight.

The weapon felt much lighter than a normal Kunai, and I recognized from my training with chakra embedded objects that this throwing knife was loaded with it.

"There's a message for her that came with it," Kakashi said as he handed a small scroll to Shikamaru, who in turn handed it to me.

I unfurled the scroll which only had two sentences on it. But my heart leapt into my throat as I recognized the handwriting immediately. It was Naruto's.

_"A gift for Sakura-chan."_ The note read. _"I am always at your side."_

"Naruto," I whispered as I struggled not to cry in front of everyone.

"When Yamato and I went to investigate your incident at the valley of the end, Sakura, we were forced to spit up. Yamato traveled downriver towards the sea, following what we thought to be team Hebi's trail. He has not reported back yet. I traveled up river to the base of Mt. Source looking for Kabuto. But the Hokage had ordered me on another errand in this part of the country as well; to check on Naruto's progress. I didn't find Kabuto, but I was greeted by a sentry of the toad sages, as Mt. Source is nearby the dimensional entrance to Toad Mountain. He was hopeful I had come to take a big headache of their hands."

Kakashi laughed as he told this part of the story.

"It seems Naruto has been much more than they bargained for. Anyway, he's made some progress, but the Sage's feel he isn't quite ready yet. Anyway, the toad gave me that to give to you."

I felt my spirit begin to crumble as I stared at the weapon in my hands. I had hoped that Kakashi was going to tell me Naruto was ready to come home. Still, just the news -any news - of him was something.

"Nevertheless," Kakashi continued. "The Hokage has decided to bring Naruto back, covertly."

I sprang to my feet. "Really! That's great! Wait . . . covertly?"

"To force Danzo's hand at a time of our choosing," Shikamaru said. "Which means we only have three days to make this happen. That's when my clan will run out of chakra and the attack on the Wind country will resume. There's no point to all of this if war breaks out."

"But what if Danzo's plan doesn't rely on Naruto's absence at all?" I asked.

"What will matter is if Danzo thinks we have evidence that connects him to the Kyuubi's attack seventeen years ago," Kakashi said. "But producing that evidence will be up to Naruto and his training."

I chewed my lip as I tried to work out what the evidence was. What had Kakashi found? I had suspected Madara might be behind my attack from my research. But . . .

"So, we think Danzo is connected to Madara?"

"Jiraiya did," Kakashi said. "And Tsunade is trying to follow up on his lead."

"But the trick is going to be to make Danzo think we know everything he is up to, even if we don't," Shikamaru said. "That's why we need Naruto now."

"He's going to need an escort," Kurenai said. "As we have to assume Akatsuki knows where is by now, even though they can't get to him where he is until he leaves that pocket dimension. But the Hokage can't send regular ANBU, or Danzo will know. We need you with us."

"I would have been mad if you left me," I said. "When do we leave?"

"First thing in the morning, but first you have to beat me," Shikamaru said.

"So you're my opponent then?" I asked as I began to formulate a plan.

Shikamaru sighed. "It's troublesome, I know. But Kurenai-sensei said you had to prove yourself against me or you wouldn't be ready for this mission. I haven't been able to say no to her yet for some reason. And, based on your encounter last week, we think there's a good chance we could encounter Sasuke."

"Are you prepared for that, Sakura." Kakashi-sensei asked me seriously. "Are you prepared to kill him if it comes to it?"

I tried to work out some brave answer. I thought hard about what to say. I needed to convince them that I was ready, but the truth is I wasn't sure. All I could do was return his stare and give my best determined nod.

"But I won't let it come to that," I said.

"If you prove capable of providing the support we need from you for this mission," Kurenai said, changing the subject and saving me from the uncertain stares I was getting from Shino, Shikamaru, and Kakashi-sensei. "We will rendezvous back here at zero five hundred hours. Don't use your normal routes through town, and don't go home. Anko is taking your place there as your cover. Do you have someplace you can go? "

"Yeah but, why not just stay here?"

"Pfft," Shikamaru scowled. "Just like a woman to invite herself over to somebody's hou-ouch!"

Kurenai-sensei surprised me my giving Shikamaru a lump on the head before I could even start to turn red with anger.

"Anyway," Shikamaru said rubbing his head. "Our training is likely to draw attention. We can't afford to remain here once we do that. In fact, we better radio Anko-sensei and tell her to double back now."

"On it," said Shino.

"Good luck, Sakura." Kurenai-sensei said with a smile. "Make me proud."

"I will," I said confidently. "And I won't be left behind! We'll bring Naruto home."

I turned and faced Kakashi, who had been there from the beginning.

"And if Sasuke shows . . . he's coming back with us - Alive."

* * *

_From the Training Journal of Haruno Sakura, 30 April 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

Fighting a member of the Nara clan is dangerous. Fighting one a night is almost impossible, as the limit to the range and accuracy of their basic shadow bind technique is nearly limitless at night. Fighting someone as smart as Shikamaru Nara at night, in the rain, in a one on one battle is probably suicidal, if not downright insane. I am glad he is on our side.

Yet here I was, wearing an off-white poncho at night and leaping through trees trying my best not to get caught by shadows that crept at me from every direction. The key was to keep moving, because getting caught would in all likelihood mean instant defeat. I was doing pretty well, but I had to have a small green glow stick lit or I wouldn't be able to see the shadows coming for me at all in the cloud-covered night sky. The drawback to the light was that once Shikamaru had found me, there was never any way to hide from him again. Nor could I find any way to connect for a genjustu attack.

The rules this time were as simple as they could be. Defeat Shikamaru by any means necessary. He had no goal of his own except to defeat me. I still don't understand why defeating Shikamaru proved I was worthy of the next phase of training, among other things, but I understood that failure was not an option.

Shikamaru was doing two things at once, maybe even three, knowing him. He was driving me where he wanted me to go, and keeping me distant from him. At one point I thought I managed to trick him and break free by using a signal flare to divert his shadows for a fraction of a second. I leapt toward him, reading both a powerful chakra blow in my right hand and an aerosol spray in my left. But he disappeared, or more accurately he _sank_ into his own shadow. I landed on the spot where he had been, and was almost caught by a three separate shadowy lines snaking their way toward me.

I punched the ground to change the terrain enough to allow me to escape, but the impact set off three exploding notes Shikamaru had planted beforehand, and I was blown backward twenty or so yards. If Shikamaru had used any higher yield I would have been missing limbs, but blowing me up was not his plan. Only the short time I had to prepare and plan before the fight saved me. As I was being rocketed through the air, I injected my leg with a special steroid. It was just some of the normal steroid that I might inject an electrocution patient with, but slightly modified in the minutes I had before this contest in the rain began.

Next I tried a replacement technique as his shadows caught up with me. It was no use. Though I managed to divert my motion and end up ten meters away, I found myself right in front of Shikamaru, and trapped by the shadow bind. Shikamaru seemed bored where Naruto would have been ecstatic in his victory.

"If you give up now," Shikamaru said as he walked us to within five paces of each other. "I won't have to choke you unconscious."

I gritted my teeth and hissed angrily, as that was about all I had control of on my body.

"You did well, Sakura," the Jonin squad leader complimented, "but it looks like you weren't ready after all."

I felt the eyes of two teachers on me, wondering what I would do. I struggled to move, to fight, if I could just even breathe on him I might have a chance. The shadows started to snake there way up my body. Hands formed at the tips, they reached for my neck. My muscles trembled as I willed them to move.

_Come on damn it, work! _I commanded the steroid injection with my mind.

The hands closed around my neck, not to suffocate, but in a sleeper hold.

_Work, damn it!_

The hands began to squeeze. My eyes felt like they would pop out of my head as Shikamaru began to cut off my blood supply to my brain. I summoned all the chakra I could muster to keep me conscious, but it was only a matter of time . . .

_SHANNARO!_

In the dim light of my green glow-stick I could see Shikamaru's eyes grow wide as I was suddenly able to grab hold of his own shadow by building chakra into my hands and pulling. It was like he was suddenly being overwhelmed in an arm wrestling match. Instead of trying to win, he was trying not to let his own hand be the one to be slammed to the table. He let the shadows slip away and leapt to the trees for cover.

"You won't get away!" I called after him as I launched myself from the ground.

"You must have injected yourself with something back then," Shikamaru observed from a tree branch as I caught up with him. "Looks like I can't get the easy win. How annoying."

He was holding his breath and I could tell he was spiking his chakra at random intervals just in case. I don't think Kurenai told him what he was up against, so I wouldn't doubt if he hadn't simply deduced the purpose of my training.

"Still," said Shikamaru as he leapt backwards away from a two punch combo of mine that tore a tree in half, "You won't be able to escape if you get caught again."

He threw two kunai with explosive notes. I dodged appropriately, but the explosion wasn't what I expected. A huge flash blinded me for several seconds, and I was forced to go to ground or risk knocking myself out against a tree.

"Your pupils were adjusted for night vision right now," I heard Shikamaru say from behind me. "After an overload of light like that, you should be blind for about another seven seconds. Can you evade me until then?"

"I . . ." I stumbled forward as I threw a Kunai toward his voice. "I no longer need to evade."

I felt eight arms of shadows bind me like rope. I fell to the ground, helpless.

"I'm not sure what you mean," said Shikamaru. "But with this type of bind, which I can only do at night, I'm not restrained by forcing you to mimic my own movements. You are effectively paralyzed. Sorry, Sakura it's over."

"Yes it is," I sighed. Then three open my perfectly un-blinded green eyes and smirked. "For you."

My body dissolved into thousands of tiny sakura petals. Shikamaru's eyes danced back and forth as he tried to follow the swirl.

"Wait." He gasped. "When did . . . you couldn't have!"

I let the upper half of my body appear in the swirl as it danced around him.

"I wasn't sure it would work either." I told him. "After all it was only based on theory I read in my studies. But we as humans actually have six senses. Taste, touch, sight, smell, hearing, and . . ."

"The sixth sense we get from chakra," Shikamaru finished for me.

My image nodded, then dispersed into the swirl of petals, which I began to solidify and sharpen. One petal cut across his shoulder, tearing the cloth in his mind and drawing blood. He winced in pain.

"I didn't realize it would work until I grabbed hold of your shadow to push it back from me," I explained. "But I felt the chakra to chakra connection right away. Your technique pours a lot of chakra out into open space, which made it easier."

"Interesting," Shikamaru said with a wince as another sharp petal cut his leg at the knee. "But I've faced genjustu before. I wonder why she wasn't able to do what you just did."

"I've read that report on that mission to retrieve Sasuke a thousand times," I told him. "Seems that kunoichi of the Sound village you faced was very specialized in sound genjustu, wasn't she? She was probably limited, and probably didn't have as good a teacher."

Shikamaru smiled. "You got that right." Then he shrugged in his typical fashion. "Well, I don't feel like getting cut to ribbons, even in my mind. So, I give up."

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yeah."

After I had released the jutsu, Kurenai-sensei came over to me to congratulate me, but her eyes looked troubled. She took a breath, hesitated, and then embraced me.

I was stunned. I wasn't sure how to respond but to slowly embrace my teacher back.

"W-What is it, Sensei?" I asked.

"It's probably nothing, Sakura," Kurenai said, placing her hands on my shoulders. "That was impressive. I . . .I've never known anyone since Itachi to be able to connect chakra to chakra like that."

"But, that's not what's bothering you, is it?"

"No," she admitted. "What illusion were you using on Shikamaru?"

"I thought I might turn all my petals into tiny cutting weapons, and then they would swirl and cut until the enemy . . ."

"Don't ever use that one on friends," Kurenai interrupted.

Startled, I gasped. "A-all right."

"Promise me, Sakura." She said. "I can't be certain, but if I read the situation correctly, you actually severed and began blocking nerve endings in his mind. You didn't do any more damage than an alcoholic beverage would have, but if you were to use that vision in full force . . ."

"I understand, Sensei."

"See you tomorrow, Sakura. Even though we'll be traveling, we're still going to train."

I said my goodbyes to everyone and headed back to town. I would be staying with my parents this night. As uncomfortable as that was, I knew it was time to handle personal issues once and for all.

* * *

COMMENTS:

Here is my best attempt at deep political intruigue and mystery - based on possiblities in somebody else's story of course.

Did I fool anyone? Nope - it wasn't Naruto, not yet - but at least you know I'm moving in that direction.

I really wanted Sakura to fight my number three favorite character behind Sakura and Naruto - Shikamaru. So I squeezed this fight in, and I hope it doesn't seem like for no apparent reason. Kurenai is very much tied to Shikamaru as a chracter now, and I felt this fight would really put it all together for Sakura. She's brains as well as brawn.

Anyway, please comment - help me advertise if you like it - and I'll crank out the next exciting chapter soon enough!


	10. Chapter 10

"_Don't worry Suigetsu. You'll get your chance against Kisame. Once we get the eight-tail, my loyalty to Madara is going to become somewhat . . .altered."_

_-Sasuke Uchiha, Somewhere north of the Hidden Mist, 25 February 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

_From the Personal Diary of Haruno Sakura 30 April 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

I stood at the doorway to my father's workshop for several moments, simply turning the three-pronged bladed over and over in my hand as I thought about what I was going to say. My parents had been surprised to see me to be sure, but my mother was delighted when I told her I felt like staying the night. She made me get out of my damp clothes right away, and was of course horrified that I had been training in the rain.

I had told them goodnight and changed into some of my older pink pajamas. They were the ones with the small white circles for unity all over the pants. I felt a chill in the air and I knew that going into the workshop in these lightweight clothes would be even colder. I could see the light was on through the crack in the doorway. It was not uncommon for my father to get lost in time and work late into the night sometimes.

I had almost talked to him before in this same workshop. This time I knew it would be even harder to say what needed to be said. Especially, after all that had happened since then – all I had learned. Slipping the strange Kunai behind my back, I opened the door and crept into the workshop. My father was tinkering with a circuit board of some kind. It looked like the insides to the remote that controlled his "Shigoto-bot."

"Hi Daddy," I said sweetly in an attempt not to startle him.

"Sakura!" he cooed. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Right," he said. "We'll since you're here, would you mind giving me a hand with this? I need someone to hold this light for just a minute while I make some adjustments."

I took the small flashlight from him, but I knew I had better get right to the point, or I was likely to get dragged down some conversational tangent I didn't want to go.

"Dad," I began cautiously. "What really happened to Aunt Rin, you know, when she died?"

My father froze. I noticed his hands begin to tremble slightly as he held the small electrical tool in his hand. At last he seemed to get a hold of himself and he took a deep breath.

"What's this all the sudden?" he asked. "Its like I told you, she saved my life. Nothing more to it."

"Dad, I know there was more to it than that," I said. "I know she was in the hospital during the attack. I know she helped someone named Kushina deliver a baby. I know she helped the Fourth . . ."

"Stop!" My father commanded curtly. "You don't know what you're talking about."

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then tell me . . .please."

My father shook his head. "Sakura, some things are best left in the past."

I brought my other hand back from behind my back, and showed him the strange weapon.

"Sometimes the past catches up to us, Daddy." I said.

My father could not hide his surprise.

"This is . . ." he gasped. "That's the Fourth's . . ."

"The Fourth's," I repeated, stunned.

"Never mind that," my father said. "Where did you get that?"

"It was sent to me," I explained. "From Naruto Uzumaki."

My father put his tools down and lifted up the safety goggles he was wearing to rest on his head. He nodded his head in understanding as his lips hung open in an effort to find what to say next.

"So that's what this is really about then," he said.

"Kakashi explained to me that I should not use this except in the most dire . . ."

"You shouldn't use it at all!" my father sternly warned. "Leave the Uzumaki boy where he is. It was good that he was sent away, and I thought I had made it clear I didn't want you forming romantic relationships with that boy. The fact that he was your teammate was barely tolerable, after all."

"Father . . ." It was going just as I feared. Perhaps worse. If I lost courage now I might never get another chance. I remembered what Ino had said to me back then.

_"Remember, you're still daddy's little girl. Never underestimate the power of cuteness and tears on a daddy____" _

Ino had a funny way of putting things, but she was right. This time there could be no holding back. I closed my eyes, and let my tears fall.

"Daddy I love him!" I sobbed. "I know you don't hate him, so . . . so I just want to understand why. Why do you hate to see me with him! Why when all he's ever done is protect me – watch out for me. He's saved my life in every way a person can be saved. I'm not afraid of what's inside him either, he can master that demon I know it! That's why the Hokage really sent him away, to master that power, not because she feared it . . . Daddy, I . . ."

I felt my father's arms around me. My vision had been blurred by my own tears, so I hadn't expected that at all. As I opened them, the first thing I saw was my father's silly little robot looking at us as if it was trying to figure out the strange human drama before it.

"That nine tailed demon," my father said. "took loved ones from many people. Yes, your Aunt Rin died to protect the Hokage's technique, and that child. But she also died to protect me. I was supposed to be the one to help perform the seal. Not her. When I became injured in route to the site where the seal was to take place, Rin took it upon herself to aid the Hokage, even though she knew she wasn't strong enough. She was just supposed to watch over Kushina. She was supposed to take Kushina back once it was done . . . she was just supposed to . . ."

My father began to cry. Slowly, I returned his embrace. I wondered how long my father had held onto this pain by trying to forget it. I began to understand what feelings must have tortured him to just look at Naruto, and to remember what was sacrificed to make him a jinchuriki.

"Naruto is a good person, I'm sure." My father sniffed. "But he's also cursed, and our family has sacrificed enough for him. I hope he finds happiness, I do. But Sakura the risk is too great. The burden he carries . . . I know, eventually you would want to protect him too, and if I lost you . . ."

"I understand, father." I said as I took a step back from him at last. Tears were still streaming from his face, and he wiped them away with the back of a dirty hand. "But it's too late. I'm already willing to sacrifice everything for him."

I held up the Kunai and let it dangle on my index finger.

"Besides, he's going to be Hokage someday," I said. "Don't you think there was a certain important person that believed, as I do, that Naruto would overcome his curse?"

My father stared at the weapon for a long while as if it were speaking to him in a pitch or language only he could understand. He looked from the weapon, to my eyes, and back.

At last he sighed and said. "If you love him that much, I guess I can't really stand in your way."

Relieved, I hugged my father tightly. Weeks of pain and worry suddenly fell away from me, and I felt lighter than I had felt in a long time."

"Hokage huh?," my father added pushing away to study me. "That's really what he wants to be?"

I nodded.

"Like I started to say before," my father said. "That weapon you have there was a signature of the Fourth Hokage. If you throw it, it alerts whoever embedded their chakra into the sigils on the handle that it is traveling through the air. If the boy . . .if Naruto really gave you that, I wonder if . . ."

My father's eyes gathered a distant look, as if he were pouring through memories to try and find his next words.

"Wonder what?" I pressed.

"It's nothing," my father said. "Just be careful when you use that, like Kakashi said."

"I will," I said.

"Well then," my father said as he turned away and placed his goggles over his eyes. "If it has to be you to help him keep that demon sealed away, promise me you'll make sure he reaches that dream of his. I think the Fourth would have entrusted his son to you, and now, so will I. Just keep yourself safe in the process."

"I promise, father."

I gave my best impression of the "nice girl" pose, signaling my dad with a huge thumbs-up and grin. It was an easy promise to make. It was a promise I've been making to myself for a long time. It was my promise of a lifetime.

* * *

_Konoha Mission File_

_Mission Rank: A Start Date: 31 April 112 YOL_

_Mission Type: Escort Client: Konoha Business_

_Notes: Return Konoha Ninja Home – considered prime enemy target – proceed with _

_Caution_

_Report Filed by: Haruno, Sakura Day 1_

Classification: SECRET – Releasable to the Hidden Village of the Sand

We left in secret this morning before dawn. In addition to Kurenai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Shikamaru, and Shino, we were also joined by Neji Hyuuga. The idea was to use people who would not be easily missed on this mission. Anko was covering for me, and I did not envy her job, as she would be emulating a lot of meditation training. Kakashi-sensei and Shikamaru were both not even supposed to be anywhere near the village, and Shino and Neji were being covered for by their teammates. Finally, Kurenai-sensei was supposed to be a mother at home taking leave. Kimiko was actually being left in the care of Iruka-sensei for this three-day period. That had me worried a little, I had to admit, but Kurenai-sensei seemed fine with it.

I felt really bad for her to have to leave Kimiko alone for any length of time, but the mission was supposed to be short. It would have to be. Any longer and the Nara blockade at the Suni border would fail, and so might peace.

We traveled northwest by treetop until we reached the river, then we followed it north toward the mountains. It was a fast paced trip, and we took few breaks. By dusk I was already nearing my limit. We could see purple mountain silhouettes rising in the distance, but they were still miles away.

"We'll stop here for the night," Kakashi-sensei announced. "From here we should reach the rendezvous point within eight hours at a good pace."

I was all to glad to stop for the night, but part of me wanted to keep going through the night. It was a difficult decision to rest when there was no time to lose, especially considering who were going to be meeting with. I was planning on pleasant dreams of him shortly, but Kurenai-sensei had other plans.

We were all very nearly settled in around a campfire when Kurenai-sensei stood up.

"Sakura, come with me for a moment please," she said.

I obeyed, and found myself following my genjustu teacher into the dark woods. The moon was full, and my eyes were adjusted to the darkness, so I could see well enough, but it still felt spooky not knowing where we were going. Before long we came to a clearing covered in a soft bright green grass. Kurenai stopped at last in the middle of the clearing and turned to face me. Her ruby eyes shimmered in the moonlight, and I did a quick check of my chakra flow to make sure I wasn't already in a genjustu.

"What is it, sensei?" I asked.

"I told you yesterday that we would train while we traveled," Kurenai said flatly. "Remember."

"Y-yes," I said before taking a deep breath. "I'm ready."

"This will be your final full lesson," my teacher said. "After this, I won't be much more than a training partner. After this, your training will be up to you, understand?"

"I think so," I said. "But why . . ."

"Genjustu against Genjutsu training. This will be the final phase. Go ahead and connect with me Sakura, if you can. I will be doing the same. Keep in mind the first to connect and take the initiative has a slight advantage."

I prepared myself to leap, my muscles tensing and flowing with strength-enhancing chakra. "Right!"

I leapt straight up, throwing a spread of three kunai tagged with scent exploding notes. I blinked and Kurenai-sensei was gone, the grass where she had been standing was barely disturbed. I looked above me as I flipped and landed in a soft crouch.

"Stop!" The voice of my teacher called in my mind. "If you don't gain the initiative, take it. You are already in my illusion."

The moon spiraled out of existence, and I was engulfed in a world of darkness. Nothing below my feet, and nothing existing around me, I seemed to just be floating in darkness. I was falling, spinning aimlessly through space, and I searched for any way of securing purchase, of finding my teachers mind to counterattack.

"You're already forgetting to anchor yourself," her voice echoed though the darkness.

The moment I called upon a small swirl of Sakura blossoms to surround me, my uncontrolled spin through space began to slow.

"Good," my teacher said. "Remember that's always your first step, regardless of how the connection happens. Now, see if you can replace this illusion with one of your own. Or, simply recreate your original surroundings if that's all you can do at the moment."

I tried. I reached out for a target, I pictured the glossy star-lit clearing in the woods. I pushed for that with all my intent and will. I created a small patch of grassy land for me to crouch on, but I couldn't get very far beyond that.

"Difficult, isn't it?" Kurenai's voice questioned.

The illusion was lifted, and though I found myself still standing in the same spot I was in before I left, I suddenly felt extremely nauseous and fell to my knees. I wretched and coughed before I heard footsteps coming towards me through the grass. My blurred vision cleared enough to see the legs of my teacher coming toward me.

"It's called a vertigo illusion," Kurenai said as she knelt beside me. "Its usually a good starting attack, because even if your enemy breaks it, they feel just like you do now for several moments after the illusion ends, leaving them exposed."

"S-so what are you saying by this, sensei?" I asked weakly, sitting down on the soft grass and taking deep breaths to try to orient myself. "Make sure you connect first?"

Kurenai shook her head.

"When facing another genjustu user, there are two types of combat. The first is the way you just tried to fight me, by matching your willpower against my own. In a test of will versus will, usually the one who connects first will win yes, but the one who has a greater chakra strength or raw power will also win. For example, the Mangekyo Sharringan possesses a will that is nearly impossible to break or even manipulate.

"But how would I know if I have the greater will?" I asked.

"If I recall," Kurenai tried to explain, "You broke free and took control of a mind transfer technique in your first Chuunin exam with sheer willpower. That was very impressive, and it's similar with genjustu. You just have to have a feel for it. You won't know beforehand."

"So what is the other type of combat?" I asked.

"Ah!" Kurenai said holding up a finger to indicate I had asked the exact question she had wanted. "That will be the focus of this lesson."

Kurenai helped me to my feet, then began to walk away from me for several paces as she explained.

"While it's true the genjustu artist is only limited by the imagination, when you lose the initiative you must throw your opponent off balance and reclaim it with an illusion that makes sense. We in the genjustu community call this "illusion molding.""

"I-illusion molding." I repeated thoughtfully.

"This time I'm going to connect with you again, and I'll start with a more simple illusion. I want you to try and transform it into something that gives you the initiative in the illusion, understand."

"Mmmm!" I hummed with a nod of my head.

All I felt was a small shift in the cool night breeze, and I knew my mind was being invaded. This time my anchor was up and waiting within seconds, the petals circling me slowly as I determined the source of the illusion. Once again, Kurenai had disappeared. It was one of her typical illusions, the surrounding trees began to elongate and grow dangerous looking thorny vines that reached for me through the silvery moonlight.

I concentrated on the trees, the branches began to bend, tying themselves in knots. But the vines and branches kept growing, and I found myself dodging and running just as it had been when we had first started training.

"You're focusing too much on making the illusion safe for you to operate in," my teacher's voice said from somewhere above. "Make it your own illusion, and use it to find me."

I tried again. This time the thorns sprouted Sakura blossoms and became soft. When the vines reached me, they did not cut. My sakura blossoms spiraled back up the vines, turning the trees into fluffy pink cherry trees in spring bloom. The sun began to rise, and that's where I found her, crouched in one of the trees.

"That's better," Kurenai called to me from the treetop. "But remember that a genjustu fight is just as dynamic as a physical one. Just like when facing a non-genjustu type, don't hold onto an illusion too long if it begins to fail or your opponents mind doesn't buy it."

My Sakura orchid caught fire as the morning sun suddenly turned an angry red. The heat I felt was nearly unbearable, and suddenly there were flames all around me. The forest was burning. I was coughing, gasping for air. I passed out.

I woke up to a canteen full of water being poured on my face.

"Get up, we're not done yet," my somewhat ruthless teacher commanded.

I let a small moan escape my lips, as my head was still throbbing. I normally would deck someone for pouring water on me while I was sleeping or even out cold, but as I struggled to my feet it wasn't long before my anger faded and I was determined to do better this next time.

We sparred for eight more rounds. Four times she had the first connection, and four times she let me make the first illusion. I never once was able to subdue her.

I think the longest amount of illusion exchanges was a staggering eight. I always seemed to run out of ideas somehow - at least ones that made sense in the context of the current illusion I was being attacked with. Yet, if I tried to defeat Kurenai on willpower alone, she would squash me without fail. Despite this, I know I learned a good deal more from losing to her than I would have if I was winning often.

After the eighth time, Kurenai-sensei had a special request.

"That should do for tonight, Sakura," she said. "But before we go to sleep I need you to do one more thing for me."

"What," I huffed. "What's that, sensei?"

"Use that illusion you defeated Shikamaru with on me. I want to see it for myself."

"B-but you said . . ."

"Don't worry about me, Sakura. What I told you yesterday was on a hunch, based on the type of reaction Shikamaru's body was under while he was under your illusion. I need to know for sure."

"Right," I said after a moment's hesitation. I still had reservations, and I wasn't truly sure I could repeat an illusion I came up with in the heat of the moment. I initiated the connection visually with my earring, and Kurenai let it happen easily.

I found that it wasn't an illusion that was difficult to recreate for me at all. It is simply based off of my anchor, after all. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of sakura petals fluttered lazily toward my mentor. Then they began to swirl in a furious cyclone.

She barely flinched as the first petal-blade cut across her cheek. She still stood firm as a second blade nicked her elbow. Then the cuts increased. She squeezed her eyes shut as the swirl cut her again and again. Soon her dress was in ribbons. I was terrified; I couldn't control the 

speed of the illusion. It was like trying to slow down a two ton oxcart as it rolled down a steep hill. Once the illusion got going this fast I could only guide its movement.

"Sensei!" I screamed in horror as she fell two her knees bleeding from hundreds of tiny cuts all over her body. The petals continued to slice her to ribbons.

Then I noticed something peculiar, Kurenai's bloodied husk of a body began to turn transparent and fade into nothingness.

"Don't worry Sakura," Kurenai's voice echoed around me. "That was just a decoy mind – a conscious of condensed chakra meant to throw off a genjustu attacker. I will teach you to do this as well before we retire. I was prepared for this, but an enemy may not be."

"Sensei," I breathed, "I- I couldn't control it, not once I got it started, I . . ."

"Yes, it's as I suspected." Kurenai said calmly. "That's why I told you to never use this on a friend. Its power is connected to your anchor and as such, it may be a genjustu technique only you can do."

We were still connected, still in a realm of illusion, but I could feel my hands trembling as I looked at them. What a terrifying power this was!

"Listen carefully, Sakura," Kurenai continued. "I haven't observed such a deadly mental force in all my years of training. In effect it works mentally in much the same way Naruto's Rasenshiruken does physically. You literally could lobotomize every brain cell from the other, making your opponent brain-dead within seconds. We'll call it, Sakura Cyclone."

"Sakura Cyclone." I parroted.

I'm not big on naming my techniques, like Naruto, Sasuke, and a lot of ninja are. But the name of this technique, which was purely connected to me – I had to admit liked the sound of it.

We disconnected, and then Kurenai spent the next half hour teaching me how to make a mental decoy, a gathering of consciousness born from my subconscious. She told me my training at this level would last the rest of my life, and I knew it to be true. I would train with her when possible, or find other suitable sparring partners like Kakashi-sensei. But right now, come sunrise, we had a mission to complete. It was a mission I'd been waiting for since the day he left. Finally, we were bringing Naruto home.

* * *

_Emergency Call for Backup_

_By way of the Hokage Reason: Encountered Powerful Enemy Force_

_Sender: Haruno, Sakura Casualties: 2 of 6_

_Status: _

We require immediate assistance. The mission is in jeopardy.

Kurenai Yuhi seriously wounded, requires immediate evac.

Neji Hyuuga wounded, unconscious and chakra level low.

Two enemy groups, estimated six in total. Possible two more Akatsuki seen in the area as reported by the enemy themselves.

Naruto has not appeared yet, and the toads are not aware of the danger as far as we know.

Details: 

We've retreated to a concealed location at the base of Mount Source. We will not be secure for long. This was our first fall back point, but it seems we've already been compromised. We arrived at 1330 hours at the rendezvous point as scheduled. As briefed we expected Naruto to appear in a dark cloak as he made his way to this place from the nearby secret entrance to the pocket dimension.

We were greeted by a figure in a dark cloak, however the figure turned out to be Kabuto. His knowledge of our rendezvous suggests an information compromise. Kabuto is even more disfigured now than was last reported in his file. He did not attack immediately, but wished to bargain for Naruto, saying it was better for us to give him up to him then let Akatsuki retrieve him. We refused.

We were ambushed by the same group that attacked me in the Valley of the End. They no longer called themselves "Hebi" but declared themselves to be "Taka." Despite the surprise, it appeared we had the situation in hand. Neji Hyuuga held off the one called Suigetsu, while the Kunoichi Karin was physiologically affected by Shino Aburame's insect swarm. I managed to knock the one called Jugo temporarily unconscious.

Then the enemy received back up. It was Sasuke Uchiha. He was not supposed to be with the members of Hebi, as far as we knew. They were supposed to be looking for him, but I now suspect he's been with them all along. It makes me wonder what they were really after that day. Kurenai was engaged alongside Kakashi-sensei against Kabuto, who fought manically and seemed not to be in control of himself. Sasuke stabbed her through the abdomen with his chidori-sword immediately upon his sudden appearance.

I've stopped the bleeding internally and externally out here in the field, but I can not regenerate tissue fast enough with what I have available. She needs immediate evacuation, so send a medical retrieval squad.

Sasuke also demanded we give up Naruto's appearance location. He said already two Akatsuki members were in route, and he didn't have time to, "play" with us as he put it. Kakashi and Shikamaru have been planning a counterattack that will - That's it, we've been discovered. Please send any available assistance.

COMMENTS:

I feel more an more like Kishi every chapter lol. I really needed to wrap up the situation at home for Sakura right here though. I don't think we'll see Jin Haruno again until the final book. Hopefully, the pacing was right for this little father-daughter relationship - I have big plans for Jin and Shigotobot, but this book really was just his introduction.

The mission. Feels more like a training block doesn't it? I really was trying to bring the relationship with Kurenai full circle too, but I don't quite feel like I nailed it yet. What this was supposed to do for you as the reader is show that Sakura is introduced now to the top tier of Genjustsu fighting, but she's quite inexperienced - and still no match for Sasuke techinically. Hopefully, you will come out of this feeling like she has a fighting chance against Sasuke, and will find her confrontation with him believable.

Sasuke - yeah I wanted to give you folks a bit of a ciffhanger, but I wanted to skip past a few details. I hope you don't feel jipped out of a few fights, but let yuor imaginations run wild and this should expedite the story to its heart - and Naruto's return.


	11. Chapter 11

_"Come on kid, work with me here! You can't just go teleporting willy-nilly. Jumping through space time from one location to another ain't like hoping lilly pads. If you don't have a beacon as you move you could end up smacking into a rock or tree, or worse, a person at nearly the speed of light. Trust me, the results ain't pretty!_

_-Fukasaku the Toad Sage, time and location of recording unknown. _

_Konoha Mission File_

_Mission Rank: A Start Date: 31 April 112 YOL_

_Mission Type: Escort Client: Konoha Business_

ATTATCHMENT C

PERSONAL ACCOUNT: HARUNO, SAKURA

EVENTS OCCURING ON MISSION DAY 2 (1 May)

Classification: SECRET – Releasable to the Hidden Village of the Sand

"Sasuke!"

I screamed his name with all the volume I could muster from my hoarse throat. I was hanging from a ledge, and as I struggled to pull myself up I could see him in the distance, a few hundred meters away. I could have thrown a stone at him if I had a free hand. And yet, the wind was so fierce up here I couldn't tell if he was ignoring me or if he just couldn't hear me.

"Sasuke, stop this!" I yelled again.

I just couldn't bring myself to honor him with a "kun" suffix to his name. Not after what I had just seen. I still couldn't believe my eyes. Somehow - even though he'd attacked us before, even though he'd injured Naruto badly the day he left – I never really believed he would kill any of his former village comrades. But Kurenai, my teacher . . .my friend . . . lay mortally wounded. Kakashi-sensei was drained of chakra, out of the fight after his dimensional rift technique aimed at Kabuto was suddenly and violently closed as Sasuke chose to intervene.

That happened just after Shikamaru trapped Taka the moment they found us again. Karin's knack of tracking us down was getting really annoying, but Shikamaru found a way to use that to our advantage. He had us increase our chakra signatures, while he diminished his own as far as he could and flanked the enemy.

Then he had Neji guide his shadow bind technique using the Byakugan and short range radios. Taka took the bait and we had them. Unfortunately, the feedback from the clash of Sharingan tore a hole in the side of the mountain, and sent the rest of "Taka" into a temporary retreat. It appeared that Suigetsu was wounded, and Karin appeared uncertain of the situation. My impression was that something about Sasuke was scaring her. Shikamaru stayed with and tended to Kurenai, while Shino and Neji made certain of Taka's retreat. It was up to me to stop Sasuke.

Sasuke however, had what he wanted. He was forcing his way into Toad Mountain when I caught up with him. Only a blood contract and the trust of the toad sages are supposed to allow entrance, but somehow Sasuke had found a way to open a portal on his own. He wasn't going to wait for Naruto to come out. I still don't understand how he found the location during the battle, but his Sharingan definitely had some kind of terrifying new power.

He ignored my shouts and continued to enlarge some kind of portal on the side of the mountain by holding his hands straight out in front of him and staring intently. I had been forced to chase him halfway up the mountain, climbing shear cliffs at times with just chakra adherence alone. The portal was dark and black, like a void, and it seemed to be drawing the howling winds around us into it. It was set between two huge stone guardians. They were toads of course, but their faces were set in a snarl as if they were gargoyles. Each one held a short sword in hand and they raised the swords above their heads to cross their blades in a symbolic archway. It was in this archway that Sasuke stood. It was as if he had known what to do the whole time, and the battle at the foot of the mountain was just for his amusement.

As I pulled myself up onto the ledge and sprinted forward, I drew a kunai for each hand. Even with his back turned, I understood it was reckless to just charge straight at Sasuke this time. I stopped short about five meters from him and crouched defensively.

"Sasuke!" I shouted. With a stamp of my foot, I caused the whole ledge to shake. There was no way he could possibly not have heard me now. Sasuke half-turned to spare a shallow glance over his shoulder. The portal wavered in size slightly, shrinking and then expanding again.

"Go home, Sakura." He said simply. "This doesn't concern you."

He focused his concentration on the portal again, and I could start to see something on the other side. It was wet and warm. A lush wetland lay beyond, and I could very nearly feel the warmth on my skin even from where I was standing.

"The hell it doesn't concern me!" I screamed. "Stop this insanity! What does any of this have to do with your revenge! I know about Madara, or whoever he is! He is your enemy! Not . . . not . . ."

"Hmph." Sasuke snorted. "You always cry so easily, Sakura."

_You always cry so easily, Sakura-chan._

It was a voice from my past that spoke into my thoughts clear as the wind howling in my ears. Naruto had once said that too. I couldn't help but wonder, did they both really see me that way? Was I really so helpless in their minds, even now?

I gave him a small chuckle. I doubt he heard it over the wind. But I spoke loud enough, with a conviction I never imagined myself speaking to him with.

"You're right Sasuke. I've done nothing but cry since you left that day. The team that went after you, I wasn't strong enough then – and you left Naruto seriously injured. When we found you again, with Ochimaru, I tried . . .but . . . I could do nothing. I don't understand you, Sasuke, and part of me will always love you. But . . ."

I fought through my tears and began to build chakra into every fiber of my being.

"But what you did to Kurenai-sensei . . .what you plan to do to Naruto . . . It stops here!"

Sasuke turned and looked at me full on. His eyes were the telltale red of the Sharingan, but the pattern . . .

"If you get in the way," Sasuke warned. "You'll die."

I attacked at my best speed, throwing the kunai I had as a defensive screen before following up with my strongest punch I could muster. But Sasuke was gone, and my punch found nothing but air. The portal began to collapse.

"I don't have time for this, Sakura." Sasuke's voice said from behind me. He was just as close as he had been that night, when he had said . . .

_Sakura . . . Thank you._

The voice was just in my head again, but to me, the meaning was still clear.

"Not this time!" I screamed as I ducked and rolled forward. I kicked out with both my legs, and caught him in the stomach. He went flying backwards, but landed on his feet. Bracing himself, he skidded to a stop. He took a moment to glance at the portal and it expanded back to the size it was when I began my attack.

I threw a spread of shiruken at him, which he easily avoided, but I knew I had to keep him distracted from opening that portal all the way. The wind howled in my ears as I charged him again. This time I tried hurling a few sleep gas pellets.

The incantation of, "Fire Style, Fire Ball Justu!" was my only warning.

I had to leap extremely high to reach a safe distance, and I could smell charred hair on the wind and my clothes were smoldering as I landed on one of the frog statues. A brilliant ball of flame had spread out below me, vaporizing my sleep gas and heating the ground below enough to form glass.

I had lost sight of Sasuke. He found me first, and plunged his fist into my gut. The wind was taken from me, and as I coughed I felt bile in my throat. I tried to react with a wild swing that missed and tore a chunk of rock from the side of the mountain and caused a small rock-slide.

He was somehow above me in the next instant, and I felt an elbow come down hard between my shoulder blades. I was rocketed to the ground like a meteor, and the ground cratered around me when I hit.

I tried to struggle to my feet as I pushed against the rocky ground with bloodied and trembling arms. The sting of half a dozen Shiruken and three or four kunai slicing into my back pinned me back down, and this time when I coughed I tasted the coppery sickining sweetness of blood.

Weakly, I made a few hand signs and traced my finger through the blood on the ground. I felt a heavy boot on my wrist as I pressed my palm onto the earth.

"S – summon . . ." I whimpered.

"Don't even try," Sasuke's cruel voice said from above.

But even though he had seen through it, Sasuke didn't know that I had already succeeded. After all, even with his powerful eyes he was only limited to his own range of vision. He didn't see the fifty tiny slugs crawling out of the ground behind him. They sprayed him from behind with quick cementing excretions, and with tiny bursts of chakra they flung themselves onto his back. Those that successfully made the leap bit into Sasuke like leaches, draining his chakra. He cried out in surprise and alarm as he instinctively tried to swat them off of him.

I struggled to one knee and took a moment to pull what metal I could out of my back and begin to heal. Then I summoned Chimochi. She started to great me pleasantly as usual until she realized the situation was serious.

"Sakura-chan!" she cried in her sing-song voice. "You're hurt!"

"Yeah," I grunted. "I need some quick healing. Hurry, he won't be distracted long."

She sprayed my back with healing solvent, and it stung like hell, but in a few moments I could stand again without too much trouble.

Meanwhile, Sasuke cleared himself of slugs and set himself free of the gunk cemented around his feet with a full body chidori. He glared at me and drew his unusually long sword. His white Gui was now torn and in tatters from where my slug friends had chewed through the material with their acid like excretions, and with his neck exposed and this dark hair blowing in the wind, I was able to confirm his curse mark was indeed gone.

"You're not leaving me any choice, Sakura!" he called as he readied his weapon. "Akatsuki will be here soon, and I don't want to have to deal with Pain!"

"Pain!" I shouted, trying not to sound surprised. "The Akatsuki leader?"

Pain was not only that, he was the one who had slain one of the legendary Sanin, Master Jiraiya. If it was Pain that was coming, there was no way I had the skill to face him alone.

"Pain is a tool like everyone else in this, Sakura," Sasuke felt like explaining. "Ninja are tools. You are just a tool. You remember that first mission we went on? Kakashi said all this himself. I would have thought you had learned. I'm going to change all of that. I'm going to set Konoha free!"

"Set Konoha free?" I screamed with clinched fists. "From what!"

"I don't have time to explain it all to you. Now step aside. Since Naruto hasn't showed, I suspect the toads are aware of this ambush. I can't wait for them either."

"Sasuke!" I shouted as I let new chakra flow into my fists. "Help us fight Pain! Together we can . . ."

"Step aside, Sakura." Sasuke threatened, as he raised his arm into the air. "Last chance."

I had not thought it possible, but the wind grew even harsher, and storm clouds began to gather above us. I heard thunder, and I saw that Sasuke was crackling with electric energy. I recognized the gesture. He had begun to take the same posture on that first mission with Sai, but Ochimaru had stopped him. Whatever the technique was that Ochimaru considered overkill, Sasuke was going to use it now . . . on me.

The wind whipped past me, shifting direction suddenly. I shielded my eyes against airborne debris. Suddenly remembering where I was standing, I risked a glance behind me. I had been foolish. In the time Sasuke had made his little speech, he had the portal almost all the way open. The only thing in his way now was me. I only knew of one thing to do.

I reached into my pouch, and pulled out a small vile. Crushing it in my hand, I threw the fine light pink powdery mist into the air above my head. The wind was swirling around us now, and I hope I had judge the slipstream correctly. With luck the contents of the scent vile would be carried forward toward Sasuke, before being sucked back toward the portal. I figured he would see it, and I couldn't predict what he would do about it. Hopefully, he would decide it wasn't a threat to him if he struck me down first.

"I don't know what you're up to Sakura," he said. "But it won't work. I'm sorry. Goodbye."

I saw a flash of light. I screamed. Sasuke saw my skin burn, char, and then vaporize. In my place only hundreds of tiny Sakura petals remained. They drifted on the wind in the same lazy pattern that the powder in the vile had followed. In mid air, I let myself re-form.

The ledge crumbled and fell away from Sasuke, and he tumbled into darkness. His eyes widened in surprise, but only for a moment. Then he smiled in that cocky manner of his that used to make my heart flutter.

"Genjustu, huh, Sakura?" he said into the darkness. "That's right. You were originally a genjustu type, weren't you? So I guess it makes sense. Trust me though, Sakura – you don't want a genjustu battle with me."

Somehow, he found me. In an instant I was whole again, and tumbling through the same darkness I had created. Sasuke floated above me as I tried to orient myself. He had his hands behind his head, as if he were lounging on something, and he stared at me with glowing red eyes.

I was panting, trying not to feel sick from the vertigo of my own illusion, when I changed us from falling in darkness, to swimming in dark waters. I swam for a surface of light which I created, and found myself standing on a glossy black pool back on the mountain ledge.

Sasuke slowly began to rise from the pool without making so much as a single stroke of a hand for a swimming motion. His eyes were still menacing, and I knew I had to keep the illusion moving. I made the pool become like a tar, and then slowly begin to solidify. He didn't even struggle or act surprised, even though he should have been trapped. At this moment's pause, I was vaguely aware of a Hawk that was circling far above us, even as a few sakura petals drifted between us.

I searched his mind for fear, for something that would make him anxious, for anything at all I could use against him. But what I saw there terrified me too much to look any further. There was death, innocent blood spilt, Itachi cutting down his mother, father, his lover. Itachi faded away with a smile, but the boy Sasuke wandered alone in the dark. There was Ochimaru, laughing hysterically, and visions of a familiar village in flames, of chaos, and of war. Looming beyond it all was a giant demonic eye, and laughter as cold and evil as the king of demons himself. There was nothing in that tortured soul I dared use against him. But I felt . . .pity.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun . . ." I breathed.

"It's not nice to go prying into people's minds," Sasuke said as he began to grow in size and the solid pool of black around him began to break and crack. "You might not like what you find!"

Sasuke grew to a tremendously giant size in the span of a few seconds. The physics of it was staggering, and the mountain started to fall apart around me. He clung to the side of the mountain as if it were simply the side of a child's outdoor play-set. A huge fist, four times my body-length, drew back and then came crashing down towards me on the mountainside. I let myself disperse just in time, and as I swirled once more among the winds, Sasuke's giant fist impacted and tore a chunk out of the side of the mountain with a deafening crash.

I began to call thousands of Sakura blossoms into existence, and after minute or so I had condensed to make myself as large as Sasuke. I leapt from the foot of the mountain and punched though it, crushing the peak and forcing Sasuke to back flip onto the adjacent ridge.

I chuckled at Sasuke. It wasn't a friendly laugh, because only I would understand what was so funny. The battle taking place in our minds was ironic to me. In the Valley of the End I had meditated that I had far to go to catch up to the giants that were Naruto and Sasuke. Now here I was at the Source Mountain as a giant myself.

Then Sasuke leapt at me. Even in our minds he was too fast for me to follow, and he caught me in a flying tackle that sent us both crashing down into the gully between peaks.

But we never hit the ground. Instead, we landed lightly on a downy soft mattress covered with white satin sheets. We were also in a room built like the most lavish honeymoon suite I could imagine. The bed was framed by red curtains that were of such delicate fabric they barely whispered against my naked skin. I gasped and blushed as I realized this and pulled the sheets around me quickly to cover myself.

Sasuke lay next to me, equally unclothed, but under the covers. He traced a finger playfully along my arm, giving me a devilish smile.

"What's wrong, my love?" he said. "We're you dreaming?"

"Wa-was I what?" I asked him. I shivered under his touch as he rolled himself closer to me. I could feel his breath on my lips. His eyes were dark and non-threatening. He placed his 

hand over mine. I shied away from him slightly, the feeling that something was very wrong unshakable, even though it felt so incredibly right to be with him there in that moment.

"You were thrashing about like you were having a nightmare," Sasuke said. "And you're sweating. Do you need me to get you something?"

I swallowed. I was parched. I couldn't breathe. I shook my head.

"N-no," I remember saying. "I'll be alright. As long as . . .

_I love you too, Sakura._

They were just words, but they were of one of my most precious memories. With him smiling that stupid grin, wrapped in bandages. I had been so surprised, so shocked to hear those words from him that I had broken down and . . .

It's difficult to describe what I was going through at that moment. Sasuke leaned in to kiss me. I felt his lips brush against mine. I felt my body melt under his touch. My heart was racing. Isn't this what I had always wanted? Didn't somewhere, deep down, I still want this? Wouldn't saving Sasuke mean he would become the man I always imagined him to be? I let him kiss me, and I thought for a minute that even if it wasn't real . . . even if it might be mean my death, just being here like this, in Sasuke's arms would be enough for a lifetime.

_"Don't worry, I'll bring him back. That's the promise of a lifetime!"_

These voices from the past kept calling to me. I was so confused. A promise of a lifetime. Hadn't I just made a similar promise to someone important? I broke the kiss and pushed Sasuke off me slightly, and he smiled. I tried to smile back.

"I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be," he said seductively.

_"I love you, Sakura. Become stronger, so when I get back we can finally put an end to all our troubles."_

I finally understood the warnings the voices of my past had been trying to give me.

"I can!" I shouted as I brought my knee up hard into Sasuke's groin.

I rolled off the bed as he cried out in pain, and suddenly the bed sheets began to tear and wrap themselves around him. Just when I thought I had him secured the sheets burst into flames. The whole room began to burn. The silky tapestries and fine furniture flaring up like a shed full of fireworks.

I leapt out the window . . .and back out onto the ledge upon Mt. Source. A great black hawk landed in front of me, flapping its wings. It turned its head and peered at me with a devilish red eye, the pupil morphed into a strange design. The bird's feathers became jet black hair, and Sasuke stood before me once again.

"It's over, Sakura," Sasuke said. "Tsu-"

"Sakura Cyclone!" I shouted over the wind.

Hundreds, and then very quickly thousands of sakura petals descended in a swirling mass around Sasuke. They became flat and deadly sharp in the next instant. If Sasuke took a step in any direction, tried to transform, or even twitch a muscle, a petal would cut him.

His eyes danced around in confusion. Though he could see me through the Sakura storm, I knew he could no longer lock onto my chakra. His Sharingan morphed and he scowled as he searched for me in vain.

"How?" Sasuke asked quietly at first. "How is this possible!"

"Like I'd let you use _that_ technique on me, Sasuke," My voice echoed in his mind as one, two, three, then four petals cut into him in a volley that was only a small taste of what was to come. "You are so . . ."

I searched for the right word, and I grinned as it came to me.

"Annoying."

Sasuke laughed. It was bitter, but it was also real.

"Seems you got me, Sakura," he said. "What are you going to do now? Kill me?"

"That's up to you, Sasuke-kun." I told him sadly. "I can hold this technique in this position for fifteen more seconds. After that, I will lose all control over the cyclone and it will tear you to pieces. You're mind will literally become brain dead. Check for yourself, you know I speak the truth."

_Twelve seconds_. I counted down in my mind.

At the same time, I double checked to make sure I hadn't just caught a decoy mind. The power from his Sharingan was like a beacon though, and I knew I had captured the right target.

"So what is it you want, Sakura? Because surrender isn't an option. Not for me."

"Idiot!" I shouted at him. "You don't have to look at it as surrender. Just come home! Deactivate your conscious. If you do that, and I know you know how, I'll release this jutsu. We can take you home, and when you and Naruto are safe . . ."

_Eight seconds. _Sasuke was sliced six more times. The blood ran slowly from his wounds.

"You don't get it, Sakura," Sasuke said darkly. "If I don't get to Naruto first, before _them_, if I don't take hold of his power, none of us are safe. Sacrifices have to be made. It's what my brother was trying to teach me all along."

_Five seconds._

"You're not Itachi! Sasuke-kun!" I screamed with a cracking voice and hot tears in my eyes. "You don't have to sacrifice your friends! Lets us help you!"

_Three seconds._

"I wonder, Sakura. Do you have what it takes? Can you sacrifice one friend to save another?"

_One Second._

"SASUKE-KUN!" I screamed until I had no breath left in me. The Cyclone collapsed; there was a spray of blood . . .

I let the illusion drop. I thought I was too late. When the illusion ended, I was still screaming, and I was on my knees. My throat was dry, and I couldn't stop the tears. I looked up.

Sasuke was fine.

But the storm clouds were still overhead and Sasuke still had his hand raised, even though he was bleeding from the nose and breathing heavily. He looked at me with eyes that were heavy and dark . . . and sad. Had I seen, tears?

"Its over," he said simply.

I reached into my kunai holster, grabbed the first weapon I could find, and threw it. It was my last desperate act, and I knew it was probably a futile gesture. There would be no escape, not with the energy I could feel building above me.

In the same moment, Sasuke dropped his hand, and there was a flash of light. I was engulfed in light. The light was blinding even as I heard the deafening thunder crack. I screamed, but felt nothing.

"It's alright, Sakura-chan," the most wonderful voice in the world said. "I've got you."

I blinked and looked down. I was flying through moonlit treetops. Someone was carrying me and leaping through them as if I were no burden at all. I looked up and thought I was 

dreaming - or dead and in heaven. My mouth hung open, and he looked at me with those gorgeous blue eyes of his and laughed.

"I missed you too," he said.

"N-Naruto!" I squealed as I threw my arms around his neck. I kissed his cheeks, his mouth, his nose. I was so happy and so relieved.

"He-hey, Sakura-chan! Hey!" he laughed. "Hang on, I can't see where I'm going."

He landed on a tree branch wide enough for both of us and kissed me properly. I ran my fingers through his hair, which was longer and wilder than it had been before. I shivered in the cool night air, and I pressed myself as close as I could as Naruto robbed me of my breath with just the touch of his lips for the first time in months. Abruptly he ended it.

"Alright," he breathed, catching his breath as well. "We need to keep moving. We're in full retreat."

I touched his cheek, making sure he was real once again.

"How?"

"It's my father's technique." Naruto beamed. "One of the new thing's I've learned. I'll explain later though, we need to rejoin with the others."

"The others!" I gasped as Naruto began leaping through the treetops again in earnest. I could have maybe moved on my own, but I doubted I could keep up with the speed Naruto was moving at my condition. Besides, I was enjoying being held by him this way.

"Are they. . .?"

"They're fine." Naruto said. "We'll rendezvous with them soon. They'll provide a jump location when their ready. In the meantime, we need to throw off any pursuit from Sasuke or Akatsuki."

I was silent for several moments. There was a new ache in my heart. I had been so close. And Naruto had been forced to rescue me in the end. I bit my lip.

"Naruto, I'm sorry I . . . I failed."

"Don't you dare!" Naruto snapped. "Don't you do that to yourself. Trust me, it leads nowhere fast."

"Naruto," I said sadly. "It's Sasuke. He's after you for some reason, I know its probably the Kyuubi, but he has his own reasons, and . . ."

"And what?" Naruto prompted.

"He wants to destroy the village. I saw it in his mind when we fought. He called it setting Konoha free."

Naruto was very silent. He seemed to be fighting back tears himself.

"Naruto, he was ready to choose death over . . . what I mean is, what if we can't . . ."

"We will, Sakura," Naruto said as he shook his head to clear his eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you today. The toads didn't let me go when they sensed the ambush. They had information that Sasuke was trying to use you to get to me. That he set it up this way. Now we're way outnumbered and we need backup, and I'm told we have one person in serious condition. I'd end this now if we could, but I know retreat is our best option for now. Forgive me."

"Didn't you just tell me not to do that to myself?" I asked with a smile. "Next time, we'll both be ready."

"Yeah," Naruto said.

Then he got a look in his eyes, and his expression changed.

"Hang on," he said. "Sometimes these teleportation jumps get a little bumpy."

In another brilliant flash of light, we were gone again.

* * *

COMMENTS:

There. Naruto's back. Happy now? LOL

Just kidding. This was the time I intended for him to come back all along. I wanted Sakura to have her own one on one time with Sasuke first.

So yeah, SasuSaku fans. I gave you your little moment. I hope you like it, because I really do understand the potential for that relationship. I promise.

I just wanted to show you the nature of how that relationship would look - and I think I got it pretty well.

Enhance the experience if you have the Shippuden Soundtrack by starting about when Sakura knees Sasuke in the nuts and playing 1.SHIPPUDEN then 2. HISOU (When Sakura is begging Sasuke to give up) then 3. Douten (When Naruto Appears). It really made me almost cheer.

This has to be the most fun I've had writing in a while, because everything built up to this moment. The next chapter is just going to tie things up and then transition to an epilouge. Don't worry - there will still be plenty of drama though.

For those of you who stuck with me all the way through until know, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

As always - let me know what you thought! And as Sakura would say to Naruto . . .

"Don't hold back!"

_ADDITION:_

_On the SasuSaku scene - yes the power of his influence was supposed to be too great for her. _

_The idea was for her not to really remember who she was, where she was, or what her situation was. Sasuke was preying on her buried feelings, the ones she told herself she let go. The idea was that though Sasuke was trying to repress her feelings for Naruto - he couldn't. They broke through and she remembered._

_I don't know - I did the best I could with that, and I'm definatly going to take a look a it again when this whole book is done and I do a final re-write._

_I just wanted a moment where she banishes any of her old feelings for Sasuke once and for all, and I wanted it to happen dramatically, and not abruptly. I wanted it to be a bit of a struggle for her too . . . because even if you logically can defeat something, sometimes the heart is stubborn_

_Maybe I shouldn't have let him kiss her - lol_

Oh well. Thank you for the review.


	12. Chapter 12

_

* * *

_

I can't help but feel we are missing some key fact about the enemy invading to our north. If we don' find he truth of this and act soon, I fear Konoha itself will be unable to lend any more help.

_ - The Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand _

_Konoha Mission File_

_Mission Rank: A Start Date: 31 April 112 YOL_

_Mission Type: Escort Client: Konoha Business_

_ATTATCHMENT F_

_PERSONAL ACCOUNT: HARUNO, SAKURA_

_EVENTS OCCURING ON MISSION DAY 3 (2 May)_

_Classification: SECRET – Releasable to the Hidden Village of the Sand _

"Even though I am seeing it again," said Kakashi-sensei. "I still have a hard time believing it's possible. And you've learned it so quickly, Naruto. You know, I really . . ."

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto interrupted with a wry smile. "If you tell me you're in love with me again I'm going to flatten you, I don't care what kind of shape you're in."

I looked back and forth between my own lover and my first teacher. My mouth hung open in shock, and I tried to decide how to ask . . . or if I _should _ask. Kakashi-sensei held up his hands as he bounced off another tree branch.

"Ah-aha, its nothing Sakura. Just an inside joke we formed while training."

"Right," Naruto grumbled.

I decided to let whatever it was go. As we sped through the trees, with me still in Naruto's arms, I soon had more pressing concerns on my mind.

Where's Kurenai-sensei?" I asked, trying not to let my voice quaver.

"Safe, for now," Kakashi said, glancing over his shoulder at Neji, Shikamaru, and Shino.

"What do you mean?" I pressed trying to look back at the three over Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto, I think I can . . ."

"You sure?" He asked. "Your back looks pretty bad."

I didn't want to be let go, but there was work to be done. I hoped there would be time for him to hold me as much as I needed later.

"Yes," I said. "Chimochi's secretions are working well."

Naruto furrowed his brow. "Chimochi?"

"One of the slugs I've learned to summon. I'll explain later."

I gripped Naruto's shoulder and flipped from his grasp, falling into step with Shikamaru and Shino, while Neji took up the rear guard to make sure we weren't being followed. It hurt like hell to start moving again, and I grimaced, but I could feel Naruto watching me, and I couldn't let him see my weakness.

Over the air howling in my ears I thought I heard him say, ". . .not the only one who's been training hard."

I smiled. I couldn't wait to show him just how far I'd come.

"Shikamaru," I began to ask. "What did Kakashi-sensei mean, where is Kurenai-sensei?"

Shikarmaru lowered his eyes. He still looked very worried, like he was going to be sick. "Well, um . . ."

"Here," said Shino, holding out a small toad in the palm of his hand.

I frowned at the small, slimy, brown creature as it were some alien I had just discovered.

"Rib-bit," said the toad.

"Eh – eee!" I squeeled disgustedly. "I don't want that thing! Besides, isn't that Naruto's-"

"Kurenai's in there," Shikamaru said with a sigh. "The toad's stomach keeps her in stasis, or so Naruto says."

"And my bugs are scared of this creature," Shino added. "So you carry it, please."

I nearly panicked as the little amphibian jumped onto my shoulder and latched itself there. I'm so glad it could do that because I think I would have been too clumsy to handle such a slimy but important little animal. My teacher was in there, and I knew she was fighting to stay alive.

It was at that point when our reinforcements that I had managed to send for finally made contact with us. Kakashi-sensei noticed their presence first, and halted the rest of us while he took out a small strobe light about the size of a cigarette lighter.

If you're reading this and you're from the Village of the Sand, these lights are standard issue among Konoha ninja. They were designed with a flip-up cover, so a ninja could either activate a full white-light strobe as a signal, or with the cover down, the signal could only be seen by someone with special goggles that could see in the infrared spectrum. The relief force found us within moments.

It included Anko, Shizune, and two other medical ninja dressed in white medics uniforms that I had never met before. We brought them up to speed quickly, and Shizune immediately wondered if she should enlarge the toad and be swallowed herself so that she could treat Kurenai. They had brought advanced medicines into the field with them after all. But that process would have taken too long and we began moving in a scattered formation, with Anko reinforcing Neji on the rear guard. Shizune concentrated her efforts on helping to heal minor injuries, and I assisted where I was asked.

While we were working Shizune explained that over the last day and a half the situation in Konoha had grown ever more precarious. There had been reports of incursions by unknown ninja into the village, and Tsunade was already being pressured for authorizing two off the record missions that went outside of her usual authority over the ANBU. As a result, Konoha was locked down tight and a curfew was being imposed.

I started getting a sinking feeling in my stomach at this news, and I knew that it was more critical than ever that we hasten our return with Naruto, and that we could not let anything slow us down.

Nothing did. Not even the sensation that we were being watched. The night was quiet. I thought it was too quiet, and the unsettling feeling in my gut began to grow.

We were three kilometers out from Konoha when we began to see the strange orange glow on the horizon. No one spoke as we all increased or speed to a full sprint. My heart raced and my mouth went dry, and there was a collective gasp from all of us as we reached a hill about a half a kilometer out.

Konoha was in flames.

The houses and shops were burning, the rooftops billowing smoke.

"No . . .," I breathed.

Shino swore. Kakashi sensei was silent. I could hear Shizune's teeth grinding.

Naruto bellowed, and I feared the worst. Before I could reach him he had darted forward at an amazing speed. I followed as best I could, and I could feel the others scrambling to keep up. When we reached the village gates, we could hear the shouts and screams of battle. But there was also a horrible sound that had never belonged in any battle that I had ever been in.

The screams of the innocent chilled me to the bone. The cries of children as they called out to their mother. The desperate please of those who could not defend themselves.

"No . . . please!" I heard a woman beg. "We don't know anything about the Hok . . ."

"Liar!" a male voice screamed. Then I heard a slap. I leapt over a rooftop to see if I could help. I saw a man standing over a woman, who was a shopkeeper that I recognized. The ninja was dressed in the attire and flak jacket of a Konoha jonin, but it was blood red instead of the usual green. I also noticed his headband had a deep scratch across the Konoha symbol right away. He held a squealing child in his arms, and had a kunai to the young boy's head. "You're a traitor and a loyalist to Tsunade, who you know planned to hand the village over to Akatsuki once they had caught that monster!"

The man raised his hand to strike again.

"Just what are you planning?" I yelled down to him from the rooftop. "Attacking a citizen of your own village!"

"You!" he said pointing. "You're that traitor's apprentice!"

What was going on? Tsunade was being called a traitor? The Hokage?

The man threw a kunai at me. Or at least he thought he did. I amused myself by pretending to have it turn into pudding as he threw it, only to have it land in his face after a big gust of wind blew it in the opposite direction. The amount of pudding grew and spread from his face until his whole body was engulfed in brown goo. The shock of not being able to breath and drowning in a blob of pudding knocked the man out. I don't know why it was the only thing I could think of. I must have been hungry - or craving chocolate.

"Are you OK?" I asked the mother and child. "What's going on here?"

They nodded at me, but their gaze was behind me, on Anko who had followed me, and Neji.

"A member of the Hyuuga Clan!" The woman cried. "Please . . . don't hurt us."

Neji was stunned. So was I.

"Wha . . Why would I-" Neji began, reaching out his hand. But the woman recoiled, scooped up her son, and fled. The three of us were left to stare after her in bafflement. Of course we weren't going to pursue a woman already as frightened as her.

A voice interrupted our stunned silence from above.

"Come on!" Kakashi-sensei called down to the three of us. "Let's get moving toward the Hokage mansion. "It seems a full civil war had broken out!"

"Kakashi-sensei!" I yelled as I leapt back onto the rooftop, the smoke filled air began to rush by my ears. "Where's Naruto!"

I had just got him back, and already he had slipped out of my sight again. I had vowed never to leave his side again, and here he had already charged off without me. He was going to get an earful when I caught up to him. I didn't know then just how bad things were.

"He's already up ahead," Kakashi said as we caught up to him. "At the Hokage mansion. Be on your guard, and expect an attack from anywhere."

"Right!" the three of us in trail of him said in unison.

The four of us landed to Naruto's right in front of the burning mansion. Shino, Shizune, the two medics, and Shikamaru landed a few seconds later to his left. I patted the little toad on my shoulder as I remembered that Kurenai was also with us, and needed help soon. I couldn't afford to be reckless while I was carrying her. We all just stared at the burning building for a moment, the sounds of battle still echoing around us. We also stared at Naruto.

He stood with balled fists, and I wondered if I should approach him. A strange purplish energy enveloped him, and the power coming from him was mind blowing. It didn't feel primal and untamed, like that time over a year ago against Ochimaru. It felt, controlled, and Naruto stood with confidence, even though I could tell he was angry. I realized I was in awe of him.

I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Miss Shizune says we should take the patient from you now," a shorter, medic ninja with round spectacles said politely. "We're not trained for field combat like you, so please leave her in our hands."

"Right," I nodded. Without me even saying anything, the toad leapt from my shoulder. I spun back toward Naruto. I walked up beside him. His eyes were glazed red with controlled fury, and his fangs were elongated, but when he looked at me, I wasn't afraid.

"Grandma-Tsunade is still in there," he said matter-of-factly.

"Are you sure?" Kakashi asked, sneaking stealthily up next to us.

Naruto nodded.

"My bunshin have just confirmed it. She's hurt, and trapped. Danzo left a few minutes ago. I don't know how yet, but this was his doing. The elders and the council are dead."

"What are we waiting for!" Shizune said in a panicked voice. "We have to . . ."

"No." said Shikamaru, holding out an arm to block her. "There's more, isn't there Naruto?"

Naruto only had to say one word, just a name, and I was amazed at how easily the others were beginning to follow him.

"Neji."

Neji nodded, commanding his eyes to focus with the word, "Byakugan!"

The genius of the Hyuuga clan gasped.

"This fire's still being controlled, the building is set to explode into intense flame if anyone else enters, and the chakra signature . . ."

"It's an Uchiha signature, isn't it?" Shikamaru said with a nod. He sat on the ground cross legged and began to withdraw into his own world. I hoped he would think of something quickly.

"Uchiha," Shino said thoughtfully. "Did Sasuke get ahead of us?"

"I don't think so," Kakashi said. "It has to be him, the one calling himself Madara."

Naruto's gaze snapped to regard his first teacher at these words.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said in a low serious voice. "Please copy my movements."

Then Naruto looked at me. His crimson eyes flashed with admiration, and I knew I could trust him."

"Sakura-chan, please be ready to knock down the door. It's not going to just open normally any longer."

I nodded and got into a ready stance.

"Be precise, Sakura-chan," Naruto continued. "The superstructure isn't going to be stable, so your target area for the breach is going to be small."

"Right!" I said confidently. Was this really Naruto? He had always had a certain charm to him before, but now he was being so . . . cool! Every girlish hormone in me was squealing in excited admiration.

"Shikamaru, Neji, Anko-san, Shino," spread out and look for Madara to appear as soon as I start. I expect he'll react somehow . . ."

"Naruto," Shikamaru interrupted. "I don't have time to explain, but Madara won't be alone, and Sasuke acting as he did to try to get to you first was part of his plan. He _expected_ Sasuke to act as he did."

Then Shikamaru looked at me. "Just like Sasuke expected to use you to gain intelligence on Naruto."

I heard Naruto grunt in anger.

"Hey, Shikamaru, what are you saying?" he asked.

"Sakura was ambushed by team Hebi at the Valley of the End, but Sasuke planned it that way. He was already calling them Team Taka by that time I suppose."

I was stunned. My mind reeled, trying to remember. "Sasuke was . . ."

Karin had been so desperate, and Jugo, he had reacted as if he believed I was actually in contact with Sasuke. Still there was the note . . .Karin took one glance at it and fled. I never gave her or her team much thought after that.

"Sasuke wanted them to capture you and force you to lie about where he was, Sakura. But he must have told his team that you were investigating them and getting too close, and that he wanted to know how much you knew. What he was really after, was Naruto's location. Forcing you to lie might have given that away, but it seems you stopped the interrogation in time."

"A-and I didn't give anything on Naruto away." I tried to point out.

"No, but the investigation into Sasuke's involvement with Akatsuki, and the Hokage's eventual need to call upon Naruto did. Sasuke was just the assistant leaving bread crumbs."

"I was followed?" Kakashi said in disbelief.

"Yes," Shikamaru nodded. "But not by Sasuke. By Madara."

"It all makes sense," said Shikamaru standing. "The reason none of us saw it before is because none of us believed that Madara Uchiha was still alive. But seeing this fire, and knowing what we know about Pain and the civil war that happened in his village, it's easy to see he's been behind all of this. . . ."

Shikamaru gestured around. "The wars, Akatsuki, the annihilation of not just the Uchiha Clan but also the Kaguya Clan and the clan of that boy you met from the mist village. You know, the one with the swordsman Zabuza?"

A memory flashed in my mind - Haku, stepping in front of Kakashi-sensei's attack, dying on the spot with a smile on his feminine face. Shikamaru studied my stunned expression.

"I went back and studied that report from your first mission as soon as we identified the one called Suigetsu as one of your attackers," He explained to me. "You wrote in you're recent report that he had Zabuza's sword so I looked into it. Now all the connections are starting to fall into place."

I nodded. This was getting downright spooky. To think that three whole clans could be so devastated, all because of one man - it was all almost too much for me to believe.

"The Hyuuga-clan," Neji said worriedly. "Is he after us next?"

"I don't know anything about that," Shikamaru said. "Maybe we should ask him?"

Kakashi-sensei lifted his headband, signaling that he was ready.

"Right," the copy ninja said. "Let's get going. The Hokage needs us."

Naruto began making hand signs. I think I counted at least thirteen separate ones, and Kakashi followed along flawlessly at a slightly greater speed as he caught up to Naruto. They both released the jutsu with voices crying out in unison.

"Water Style, Water Tornado Justu!"

The wind shifted as if a sudden storm had blown in, and before my eyes two giant spinning spouts of water began to form. Naruto and Kakashi-sensei stood shoulder to shoulder, their eyes closed in concentration as they controlled the massive water spouts and moved them toward the burning mansion. The spots twisted and tipped like striking serpents, bent on extinguishing the fire. But the flames burst forth from the roof in a giant flame umbrella. Huge mountains of steam erupted where flame battled water and wind just meters above the house. Naruto began to growl low in his throat as if he was trying to lift something heavy, and I saw Kakashi's shoulders begin to tremble with the effort.

As the fire intensified toward the roof, it began to go out toward the base. Through the steam I could clearly see the entrance to the main hall. But I stood gaping like an idiot and Naruto. He could use water elemental chakra too!

"Sakura!" Naruto yelled, snapping me out of it. "Go!"

With my fiercest cry I charged the doorway. My fist was vibrating with power as I prepared to batter down the doors by concentrating on the weak area between them. Two ninja in ANBU masks flashed into existence in front of me. Their flak vests were a blood red instead of the usual green, and I made some hand signs, preparing for a fight.

My replacement jutsu was just in time. A deadly bladed cutting net sliced the log I left behind to ribbons. I could feel the heat from the house as I got closer and Naruto and Kakashi seemed to be in a struggle of huge chakra proportions. I didn't have time to deal with two ANBU, even if I thought I could. To emphasize this, a section of the east wing of the mansion collapsed under the strain of the elemental battle taking place at rooftop level. I swore as the two ANBU began making hand signs of their own.

_If only Naruto had left someone in reserve_, I thought. But I knew they were all searching for Madara in the hopes of extinguishing the source of the flames.

That's when four great black lions tackled the two ANBU from behind. They screamed as they tried to fight the somewhat discolored beasts off of them. It was like they had been called upon from somebody's nightmares . . . or drawn.

Sai landed next to me and with a giant thumbs up and the most genuine smile I had ever seen on him said, "Now you're clear Sakura-san."

I thanked him, and in half a second had busted through the front door. As I sprinted up the stairs with Sai on my heels, though I did not know it yet, outside the true battle with Madara's forces was already beginning. Explosions began rocking the village like earthquakes and a portion of stairway fell away under my feet. With a leap, I managed to make it to the fourth floor landing, but Sai fell.

"Sai!" I called, checking to make sure he was OK.

He stood up slowly among flames and pieces of staircase, shaken, but unharmed. His face was passive once again, but he waved me on.

"Go!" He shouted. "Get to the Hokage!"

I gave him a tight-lipped nod and a small salute as I told him. "Hurry and catch up!"

In eight seconds I reached the end of a hallway that was still smoldering. The heat was intense, and I reached into my equipment pouch and strapped on a cloth filter mask that was normally for medical purposes.

As I burst through the great double doors to the office, I found my master lying unconscious under three heavy wooden beams. Normally, she could have lifted even that amount of weight easily, or just broken them apart with a finger. But I could tell she was hurt bad, and from the looks of it drained of chakra. The office was a mess. The windows were shattered and there were three large holes in the wall to my left.

"Master!" I cried as I rushed to her side.

It only took me two punches and a bit of heavy lifting to clear the debris from her. Even though the building was still very much on fire, I didn't want to move her right away before I determined the extent of her injuries. I began healing her most visible injuries immediately starting with a nasty gash on the head. She startled me by groaning as she started to come around.

"Who . . . who did this?"

Tsunade stirred as I brushed the hair from her bruised face.

"Nnnnnn," the Hokage groaned. "Sss . . . Sakura?"

I'm so foolish. I didn't even hear the footsteps approaching behind me. Or maybe I thought it was Sai. I also assumed Neji would have seen if there were any more of the enemy in the mansion. In any case, I should have been more aware.

Meanwhile, Tsunade's eyes fluttered halfway open.

"Get out," she tried to say. But I didn't understand.

"What?" I asked.

"T-Trap. You must . . . must leave . . ."

"I've come for you master," I said shaking my head. "I've come to get you out of . . ."

"Pain!" Tsunade coughed. "He's here! Go now."

"Too late," said a female voice behind me. "There is no escape from Pain."

I turned and thought at first that I was looking in a mirror. Only when the figure moved out of the smoke cloud surrounding her and I could see her face clearly did I realize that it was only someone who looked very similar. She had piercings all over her face, and red-orange hair.

"What the?" I said to myself. "Pain's a woman?"

Then I noticed there were two others flanking her to her right and left that had similar facial piercings. One was a large man with a square chin, and the other had long flowing orange hair that fell to either side of his face. All of them wore Akatsuki black robes with red clouds on them. None of them were affected by the heat or smoke.

_Had Akatsuki replenished their numbers so quickly?_ I wondered.

A horrible feeling began to settle in the pit of my stomach. I can only describe it as dread. I was frozen with fear. I reached for a Kunai, but as soon as I made the movement I found myself pinned to a charred wall. I coughed as a strong hand gripped my throat, and I kicked uselessly as my feet were dangling of the ground. Then I gave a strangled scream as something sharp entered my side.

"Sakura!" Tsunade coughed. "No, leave her . . .guh!"

Someone had struck Tsunade again, and I fought to see if she was still conscious. I still hadn't gotten to determine the extent of her injuries - But now I was worried about mine.

The sharp instrument, a kunai perhaps, twisted in my side. I screamed again.

"We all experience pain," the woman said. "I'm sure yours is exquisite. Call to him."

"Whoooooooooooo!" I screamed as the sharp instrument twisted again.

"The nine tails boy of course," The woman holding me said. I twisted my head to look into her strange eyes. The raw power in them was immense, and I felt paralyzed in that spiral pattern. "Call to him, and this stops."

"I'll do no such thing!" I started to say. I only made it to the word no before I had to scream again. I heard the roar of lions in the room, and I heard the slashing of steel and the sound of something splattering. Dimly, I was aware it was ink. Sai had arrived.

"What the hell?" The woman Pain said just before something long and dark coiled around her and snapped tight, binding her arms to her side. I dropped to the ground coughing and clutching my side. Sai had bound her with two tremendously long snakes.

I struggled to my knees as I applied healing energy to my wound. It was deep and I knew I might be in trouble if I didn't get more help soon. Still, I knew I had to help Sai if I could. It was three on two and we were way outmatched in power. Sai was holding off the big guy with his short sword, but the long haired one was flanking him and making hand signs.

I recognized what he was doing immediately, and I used some of the blood from my wound to make my own signs. I completed my summoning a mere split second after the enemy, and it saved Sai just in time.

A jet of cutting water erupted from the long haired Akatsuki's mouth. My slug split into three in the same moment. One of her smaller selves knocked Sai out of the way with a sliding tackle as she used her slick secretions like a toboggan. The other two roped sticky spray like lasso's around the long haired enemy, dragging him to the floor and holding him down. The water spray continued in an arc and began to tear down the walls and roof. Finally, the cutting water ceased as the roof collapsed onto the man.

The floor began to creak, and I was sure we were all going to fall through at any moment.

I rushed to Tsunade's side. She was still conscious, but in bad shape. Sai ran and knelt down on the other side of her. I caught his eye, and we agreed nonverbally that we may need to risk moving her.

"Master!" I said loudly enough to get her attention. "Can you move? We've got to get out of this building before . . ."

I heard a snapping sound behind me, and with a growl the woman who had identified herself as Pain was free of Sai's snakes. I turned and punched will my full force. My fist met hers in a terrible shockwave that sent splinters of wood flying everywhere. I punched again in the second portion of a combo, and she caught my wrist in her palm. She squeezed and a crunching sound let me know my left wrist had been crushed. She was just as strong, if not stronger than my Master. It was unreal. I bellowed in pain and fell to my knees.

Sai began to draw something on his pad, but had to leap out of the way as the big one came crashing down at him. Several small vicious looking bats flew from Sai's scroll, but every single one of them was somehow absorbed by the hulking Akatsuki. And suddenly the long haired one was also free. Sai was now flanked on two sides.

Meanwhile, Pain still held me by my crushed wrist. I tilted my head. The angle was perfect for a visual connection.

"Hmph. That's cute," said Pain. "Trying to connect to these eyes. The Hyuuga can't see a god, what makes you think you can control the mind of one? Now, call to your demon fox friend, and you might yet live."

"No need to call me," said a voice behind me. "I'm here."

"Naruto no!" I screamed in terror. "There's something very wrong here! Leave."

"Don't worry Sakura," Naruto said as he made seven shadow clones. "I didn't understand it until now, but our real enemy isn't here. Take Tsunade and go, I'll cover your retreat."

"No . . ." Croaked a raspy and shaky voice. "I'll do that. All three of you – nnnn – get out of here now."

"There's no escape for any of you," Pain began.

My master began to glow with bright blue chakra. Symbols etched themselves across her forehead, and her pigtails stood out on end.

"No!" I yelled as I realized what she had done. The Hokage had released the regenerative chakra stored in the diamond behind her forehead. But I knew she did it at a price. How long would it shorten her life this time? Healing energy swirled around her and she was even lifted a few inches off the ground by the shear power unleashed.

"I don't have as much as last time," Tsunade said, flexing her hands as if they were brand new. "But I should be healed enough now to hold them off. Now go, find the real one!"

"I don't understand!" I yelled. "What do you mean real one?"

"You better not die Grandma!" Naruto said as one of his clones attacked with a Rasengan on Pain. She let go of my wrist and ducked out of the way easily. That's when a second clone of Naruto's scooped me up and carried me to the threshold of the building.

Suddenly a new Akatsuki was in our way. This one had short orange hair and at first glance I almost thought it was another Naruto clone. My master was quicker than him though, and he was forced to abandon his position or eat a hail of acupuncture needles she sent flying his direction.

I kicked away from Naruto's clone on my own power, and as we hit the ground in front of the mansion, we kept running without looking back. I didn't look back even though I could hear the thunderous sounds of my master fighting for her life above us. I just tried to concentrate on healing my wrist while I fastened a thick adhesive bandage to my side.

All around us an impressive battle raged. Neji and Shino were locked in combat with a dark haired Akatsuki who kept spreading into deadly sheets of paper. Kakashi and Gai Sensei were fighting a close combat battle with a shark-faced Akatsuki who I remembered from the files as Kisame. Many, many more of my comrades fought ANBU who had dawned red flak jackets.

Strangely, I saw no sign of Madara. Nor would anyone else report seeing him after the day was done. Perhaps if we could have located him, things might have been different. But we were fighting a lost cause, and everyone seemed to sense it as Kakashi-sensei threw a special explosive note attached to a kunai in the sky.

It exploded in a large red flower pattern, and all Konoha ninja knew what it meant. Retreat.

We retreated up the Hokage Mountain, covering each other's retreat as best we could. Several Konoha Ninja fell in battle this day, but no one in my age group. When we reached the top of the mountain, I looked back and saw the Hokage mansion flash three times as it was rocked with huge explosions. The earth shook, and I screamed. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as the whole mansion collapsed. The Hokage was still inside.

I lunged for the mansion as if I could reach out my hand and pull my master from the wreckage from all the way on the top of the mountain, but Naruto held me back in his arms as I screamed and fought to free myself from his embrace. When at last I calmed myself, I stared at the fiery wreckage for several seconds, wiling my master to somehow leap free and rush to join us - but no one came. I buried my face in Naruto's chest as I cried.

"No . . ." I sobbed. "No, this can't be happening!"

As Naruto held me tightly, I heard Kakashi-sensei approach Naruto.

"Naruto, use you clones to spread the word to everyone you can find," he said quickly. "Let them know of the new fallback point we agreed upon. We can't use Konoha standards in this situation."

"Got it!" Naruto said. Then he made several hundred clones without ever letting go of me. I saw them scatter in all directions as he kissed my forehead.

"Come on Sakura-chan," he said. "We can't waste the chance she gave us."

I nodded, and we were off, back down the other side of the mountain and north through the wilderness of the Fire country. I risked one more glance back at the glowing orange sky and shook away the last of my tears. The unthinkable had happened. Konoha had fallen.

* * *

COMMENTS:

So there it is, the last chapter. I don't like it as much as the last one, as I still had a bunch of questions in my own mind as to how to best incoporate Kishi's vision back into the timeline.

That's one reason why it took so long to release this chapter. I really wanted to see the results of 407.

It gave me at least a small clue to work with.

I worry I may have left something important out, and I worry that I've made Naruto a bit too mature comng out of his training, but I think for my final book he needs to be at this point in his growth.

The Epilouge will answer such questions as

- Why only four Pains

- Who survived to the fallback point

- What became of Danzo and Konoha

- What of NaruSaku

- And what now? (For the next "book")


	13. Epilogue

"_No matter how much you target the Leave Village, there will be a new Hokage who will inherit my will, and become the pillar to protect the House of the Leaf!"_

_The Third Hokage_

Epilogue

_From the Personal Diary of Haruno Sakura 21 May, 112__th__ Year of the Leaf_

We've been on the run now for weeks. We couldn't go to the Village of the Sand, as we've been labeled official criminals and enemies of the Fire Country. Temari brought us that warning. Also, she bore the horrible news that war had begun on the northern borders of the Wind Country. After staying with us for a day, Shikamaru gave her the toad Kurenai was in. Kurenai would soon need to come out of stasis or she would die. Temari promised to get her to the Sand's hospital under the highest secrecy, but it doesn't look good for my teacher and friend. I'm still so worried.

A few days later we learned more as we showed ourselves and collected more civilians that had fled Konoha. The group included my mother and father. They told us that Danzo was now in control of what was Konoha, and though he was ordering the rebuilding of what had been destroyed in the battle, there were trials of treason and executions every day. He was somehow taking credit for his ANBU Root driving the Akatsuki and the traitorous infestation away. It seems likely to us that he cut a deal with Akatsuki for this position, maybe even Madara himself. Konoha itself has been renamed as the capital city Himachi, and the Daimyo's castle is being rebuilt there. Danzo has proclaimed it no longer necessary for the higher evolved practitioners of the ninja arts to keep themselves hidden from the eyes of the world.

Himachi does not answer to the leadership of the fire country, and a series of assassinations and political maneuverings there have turned the Daimyo there into nothing more than a puppet regime that now answers to Danzo's iron will. Even the fire temple, which is being relocated to this new capital, will be kept close by and managed accordingly. For all intents and purposes, the Fire country as a whole is now run by Danzo.

The Hidden villages of Rain and Mist have also been dissolved, and their nations have also have come to be controlled by militants. We were aware of these events taking place even while Konoha still stood, but could do nothing to prevent it as it was not the Fire nation's policy to interfere. If only we had realized their connection.

As for the War, the Fire nation has sent both troops and ninja in support of the Wind country as per the contract alliance that was made between the Sand and Konoha. But we doubt Danzo intends to honor that contract for long. We anticipate him actually siding with the Rain in attempt to establish another unified militant regime. So does Gaara, according to Temari. However, the Wind country leaders and the Daimyo don't seem to recognize the danger.

Today we had a meeting in the Wave country, hidden out of view in a building loaned to us by some old friends of the original Team 7 I was a part of. When we crossed the long bridge into the country, Naruto beamed at me when he saw the name.

"The Great Naruto Bridge." The sign at one end read.

I couldn't help but give him a joyful laugh, and I think Kakashi-sensei even smiled.

We've turned to Kakashi-sensei for leadership. We're only about two hundred ninja strong, with a few dependents and civilians in our care. We'd lost so many in the previous battle, and there had barely been time to breath. I was grateful that everyone we took our first Chuunin exam with had made it, for those were the friends Naruto and I were closest to. Yet there were other friends, young and old, that we wouldn't be seeing again. Even the Hokage had . . .

Still, we've placed our faith in Kakashi to somehow lead us to victory over our enemies – to win back our home and restore peace. And we've placed our faith in Naruto.

I watched him as he listened intently today to everything that was being said. Attacking and taking out Danzo was discussed. Assisting the Sand in their war was discussed. Splitting up and infiltrating various lands, going to ground until another day was discussed.

But Naruto was the one to provide the course that Kakashi chose, and the one everyone rallied behind. It came in the middle of the heated argument, and Kakashi-sensei was having trouble keeping the assembly in order. Suddenly Naruto, who had been quiet the entire time, stood up.

"There's no doubt about it," Naruto said loudly and with enough authority that all the bickering silenced as we all stopped to listen. "The code that old pervert left to us is clear to me now, and I know where the real Pain is. That is our target. Find the real Pain, and the invasion of the Wind Country will halt. Find Pain, and Madara will show himself once he's defeated."

"So what are you saying?" Someone, maybe Shikamaru asked.

"I'm saying we attack the Hidden Rain, and we'll take out Pain," Naruto said.

"Impossible!" Someone shouted, but Kakashi-sensei held up his hand.

"Naruto is right," he said. "We're running low on supplies, and eventually we will be found. We need to strike at the heart of this matter, and that means Pain and Madara. Then we can worry about reclaiming the village, with the help of our allies if necessary."

There were murmurs of agreement, and even those with the most stubborn opinions seemed to be considering the option carefully. I realized I should speak too. I stood up next to Naruto.

"I know what many of you are thinking. I want our home back too. But, Danzo is only a puppet of these two. Something to forward their plans, and in his greed for power he thinks he has destroyed us. He is not the immediate threat." I said.

Then I glanced at Naruto with my next words. "We should also consider that there are others working with their own agendas - friends who need to be convinced to rejoin our cause."

"You don't mean?" Neji's voice yelled from the crowd.

"I do," I said feeling Naruto give me a knowing nod. "If we're going to win the day we are going to need his power."

"But he's a trai . . ." someone else began angrily.

"He works for only himself!" I said even more loudly, refusing to be interrupted. "He

does _not _care for the objectives of our enemies. I saw that in him when I fought him last."

There was silence. It was broken at last by Naruto's voice.

"It looks bad right now, even impossible. People always told me, when I was young, that it would be impossible for a screw up like me to become a ninja." Naruto gave us all a small chuckle. Standing next to him, I was scared I might swoon, but my legs held steady.

"But I guess I've done alright," he continued. "And those with the will of fire, handed down from generation to generation in Konoha, can accomplish even the impossible. I believe that, and I believe in my comrades. I believe in Sasuke too. So I'm asking for a little trust, and we will win by our will!"

A drum roll of murmurs grew in intensity until Kakashi sensei added to Naruto's stirring speech with a loud war cry. Then, every voice in the cabin cheered as one. It was both a cry for war and a cry for the belief in the coming victory. I saw Kakashi nod at Naruto as he concluded the meeting. Now we had our plan. Recruit Sasuke back to our cause, destroy Pain, and root out Madara. We would use this insignificant village as our base, and eventually we knew we would overcome all.

I sit here on a hilltop watching the sun go down as I write this. The nights are defiantly getting warmer as spring moves toward summer, and the last sakura blossoms are catching the rays of the setting sun as they drift away. He sits behind me as he holds me, and I am secure here in his arms as he joins me in gazing down at the sleepy village and the bridge that bears his name. He teases me about being so detailed in my writing, and he wants me to put all kinds of flattering things about him. In fact he keeps trying to . . .

I will write that he is an extremely good kisser.

I don't know exactly what the future has in store for us, but here in this moment I know we will always have each other. Sakura season, my season, has ended, but I can feel a new season of change for us all brewing in the warm summer air.

* * *

COMMENTS:

Epilogue. Short and sweet. Leaves you hoping I think and establishes the stage for what must be done in the final book. Also, Yeah NaruSaku cuddles and kisses at the end of course! I chose to have Sakura leave that part up to your imagination this time!

The next book will be standard format again.

Thanks for all the support for this story and wow already over 10K hits. I'm very flattered and I'll se all of you when I feel the next book is ready to begin posting, but I'm going to take a little break from Naruto for now.


End file.
